Margaret Elizabeth Ireland (nee Yust) age 93 of Pompton Plains died on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 from Covid-19.  She lived in Wyckoff, NJ for over 50 years prior to her move to Pompton Plains.

Margaret (known as Peggy) was born in Philadelphia, PA to Harry S. Yust and Margaret E. Tutwiler, but raised in Westville, NJ.  She graduated from Woodbury High School where she played the drums in the Woodbury Drum and Bugle Corp. and clarinet in the Woodbury Orchestra.  Upon graduation she was employed by the Philadelphia National Bank in the foreign currency department.

Peggy noticed a handsome drum major of a rival high school band and asked a friend who he was.  They were introduced a few weeks later.  His name was John Paul Ireland Jr. and they had their first date roller skating Friday night and on Saturday night attended the Paulsboro High School Dance.  They married on September 9, 1950 at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Paulsboro, NJ, honeymooned at Lake George, NY and Lake Winnipesauke, NH.  John Paul Ireland Jr. predeceased Peggy in April, 2012 after 61 years of marriage.

Peggy enjoyed bowling, dancing and traveling the world with her husband.  She was a member of the Eastern Star for over 50 years and they spent much of their time supporting the Shriners organization.

She was the loving mother of Paul Ireland and his wife Sherry of Wayne and Margaret “Betsy” Kiess and her husband Michael of Villas, NJ.  Peggy was the cherished grandmother of Matthew Kiess, Caitlin Kiess and Carly Kiess Pacifici and  husband Adriano and Sean Ireland and Ryan Ireland.  She had one great grandson Luca Pacifici.  She was also the loved sister of the late Harry T. Yust.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL  33607 would be appreciated.

Edward Saenger, Jr., age 78 of Wayne and formerly of Brooklyn, died on April 15, 2020.

Ed is survived by his wife Carol (nee Ferro), daughter Sandy Pagan of Brooklyn, son Mike Saenger of Wayne, and two grandchildren; Charlotte and Francesca.

A more complete obituary will be posted here at a later date.

Miriam E. LaRue, age 93 passed away Tuesday April 14, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer's after succumbing to COVID-19.

Miriam was born on October 7, 1926 in Scranton, PA to Helen and George Davies.  She was raised in Scranton and graduated from Scranton High School.

Miriam met and married her sweetheart Austen and moved to Wayne, New Jersey in 1947 where she resided for 73 years.  Miriam was the beloved wife of the late Austen I. LaRue (1970).  She was the loving mother to Nancy LaRue Miller (1969),  Maryanne Cowan (2016), Barbara LaRue of Suffern, NY,  Rick LaRue and his partner Susan Wolniakowski of Duluth, MN and cherished grandmother to J.R., Rachael and Alex Cowan, dear sister to Janet Rink and her husband Ronald Brain of Woodland Park and Barbara Saporito Gattie and her husband Jerry of Butler and several nieces and nephews.  After raising her family she was employed at Atlantic Stewardship Bank in Wayne, NJ.  She loved her children and grandchildren dearly and devoted her life to them.

John A. Ferrarella, Sr. age 70 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

John was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the youngest of Dominick and Lillian’s two children. He was raised in Paterson and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School with the class of 1968. Following graduation, John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and served his country, including in the Vietnam War, from July 1969 until his honorable discharge in July 1975. During his time in the USMC, John earned a national defense service medal. John went on to study at Passaic County Community College.  A long-time resident of Paterson, John moved to Wayne with his family where he lived for the last 20 years.

In his lifetime of service John impacted many lives - past, present and future. He was an active member of the Passaic Valley Elks Lodge where he served as Exalted Ruler in 1985 and recently attended the lodge’s 60th anniversary. He later earned the rank of Captain with the Paterson Fire Department where he was instrumental in the newly developed Paterson EMS system and P.E.M.T.A. John was affectionately known by his squad members as Cap or Cappy, Tsets, and Buddha amongst other nicknames.
He would later serve as the EMT-Basic Program coordinator at Passaic County Community College, instructor at the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute, and was an EMT evaluator. John continued to work as an EMT at the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority until his final days.

In addition to his family, one of John’s greatest passions was motor vehicles. Before starting a family of his own, one of John’s first loves was his prized Corvette which he bestowed to his nephew, Raymond, should anything happen to him. John knew Raymond was the perfect choice since he would cherish and care for the car as much as John did. Little did John know, Patti always told her friend Maria she’d love to meet the guy who owned the Corvette parked under the light at the end of the parking lot. Later in life John took to loving motorcycles. He transferred this love into service as he worked as an instructor for the Bergen County Harley Davidson Motorcycle Program, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and The Riding Academy of NJ teaching new riders safety and proper motorcycle technique. John of course always emulated perfect safety – don’t think for a second you would catch him on the bike without a helmet, his trusted floppy hat, sunglasses, long pants, gloves, and a thick jacket even in the heat of summer.

John’s love for service and vehicles was only surpassed by the love he had for his family.  John was a devoted husband to his wife Patricia of more than 36 years, and an amazing father to his three sons, John Jr., Matthew, and Justin, his pride and joy.  John lived for his family. John cherished his dates with Patti at the diner, his favorite breakfast spot, where it never mattered how long before he got back in his chair. He was most proud to be a husband and a father, and his eyes lit up every time his family made unannounced visits to the firehouse. He never missed a baseball game and made countless walks to Gelotti’s in Paterson to satisfy his and his children’s sweet tooth.  During their college years, John trekked many miles to Boston and South Carolina to make sure his boys were moved in properly and that he could spend every last minute with them before the beginning of each new semester - even if it was spent napping on the futon (or the “fondue” as he commonly referred to it).

Every holiday morning, John could be found in the kitchen donning a festive apron making his specialties: taylor ham, bacon, eggs and pancakes.  Breakfast was one of John’s favorite meals of the day along with lunch, dinner, and dessert.  John loved to relax in the yard, on the deck or in the pool, and never turned down a chance to share a Bud Light or cigar with one of his sons.  His friends and family will also remember his love to tell jokes and stories, particularly Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine which he watched with his family countless times.  Most recently John’s stories were about how proud he was of his growing family: the welcoming of the three new wonderful daughters-in-law that he loved dearly, as well as his excitement to learn that he would soon be a grandpa.

John was devoted in his faith to God and was a longtime parishioner of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Paterson and the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Wayne.

John is survived by his beloved wife Patricia of Wayne and their three cherished children: John and his fiancée Noni of Manhattan, Matthew and his wife Greta of Los Angeles, and Justin and his fiancée Christine of Lafayette; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; and countless friends, neighbors and colleagues. He was predeceased by his sister Delores.

Eugene Amirante, age 91, of Wayne passed on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

Eugene was born in Paterson and raised in a four-story home at 459 River Street. The first floor was occupied by a store run by Eugene’s family and extended family who all lived in the above three floors.  

In May of 1950 Eugene met a beautiful girl named Edith Cannata through a family connection and quickly fell in love. As was the custom at the time, Edith and Eugene had to be chaperoned on dates. This was often done by Edith’s sister Angel or her brother Albert. One of their first dates was ballroom dancing at a club on Market Street in Paterson. It was said that Eugene and Edith’s brother Albert became such close friends that when Eugene bought the engagement ring he jokingly said he might give the ring to Albert instead.  Edith and Eugene married on May 3, 1953 (Edith’s Birthday) at Saint Anthony’s Church in Paterson. They had a loving and devoted marriage of sixty-six years that was blessed with five daughters.

Those five daughters would eventually bestow Eugene and Edith with 13 grandchildren (later introducing a great-grandchild) which whom he spoiled with laughter, Milky Way bars, talks of mythical creatures, and lighthearted pranks. He was never afraid to strike a silly face or throw a fast quip if it meant a hardy laugh on the other end. Humor was deeply embedded in his DNA.

He took much pride in his large family being the patriarch of his clan. His eyes would sparkle with delight when watching a grandson score a touchdown, or strike a batter out with a fierce pitch. He would shine a wide smile at every family gathering whether it be a graduation, birthday or wedding. No family function was complete without his presence.

During the later years of his life, Eugene would find comfort in his La-Z-Boy recliner watching old Westerns, Lon Chaney films, and his beloved Mets and Jets. There was always a puzzle on the dining room table to lure in his daughters to stay longer, and A Word Search book was never far from his reach. On Friday nights he would play cards with his friends. He was also quite comfortable sitting at a Roulette table during one of his many (and almost always successful) trips to Atlantic City. Sunday evenings were spent eating a generous Italian dinner prepared by Edith and enjoyed by his daughters and grandkids.

His devotion wasn’t only spent on his family. He was a celebrated member of the Wayne Elks Lodge, pledging his time and efforts to the organization for many years. He also served his country, being enlisted in the US Army from 1951 – 1956.

Those who were touched by Eugene’s life can’t help but smile when they think of his spirit and legacy. He was a man who wasn’t afraid to laugh and love and knew the true importance of life – his family. And in that regard, he lived a life that was full.

Eugene was a loving husband of Sixty-Six years to Edith (Cannata) Amirante; devoted father of Louanne Barbera and her husband Steve of Wayne, Marianne Scibetta and her husband John of Wayne, Deborah DeRosa and her husband Jimmy of Butler, Jeanne Scognamiglio and her husband Gene of Butler, and Patricia Battipede and her husband Robert of Butler; cherished grandfather of Steve Barbera and wife Marlena, Chrissy O’Connor and husband James, Samantha Scibetta, Jackie Scibetta, Ali Scibetta, Sarah Maurer and husband Ricky, Jessica Scognamiglio, Joseph Scognamiglio, Frank Scognamiglio, James DeRosa, Alfred Battipede, Thomas Battipede, Bobby Battipede and one great-grandson Axel Maurer.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to American Kidney Fund or Dialysis Patient Citizens

Charles "Charlie" Moscato, age 71, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

A loving note from Charlie's wife Margie:

When I think about Charlie, there’s almost too much to remember. We met when I was 16 and had been together since.  He was so loved by everyone that even my own father and brothers wanted me to be with him, rather than the usual “dad giving the boyfriend a hard time” routine.

There are so many memories about our time together when we were in Brooklyn. The little things like getting egg creams, ice cream soda, pizza, and going to see movies are what stick out most.  Charlie proposed one Palm Sunday by putting the ring in the dessert. Before you know it we were married November 10, 1973. We raised two wonderful daughters together who we would do anything for, and our home was one of love and caring primarily.

Charlie’s life was his family, as he worked from age 11 on to care for his sisters and mother after his father passed. That mentality carried on always, and not only would he do everything for me and our girls, but in between would take care of his mom, my mom, cousins, sisters, in-laws, friends.. literally anyone who needing anything, Charlie was there to lend a hand. It was in his nature to try to take care of everyone and always do the right thing, and so that was always his focus, no matter the cost on him physically or emotionally.

He worried about me and the girls even until the very end, worrying for us, and wanting to make sure we had everything we could possibly need, again rather than focusing on his ailments.

Through strokes, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, and other parts of the illness that go along with it, his focus was still to push through and do what he needed to do for his family.  He never really needed to say I love you constantly, because it was glowing through his actions, his selflessness, and his commitment to taking care of me and our girls.

There are so many things I would love to be able to say to him now, but in my heart I know he knows it all already, the same way we do.

Charlie was the loving husband of Margaret “Margie” Moscato; beloved father of Danielle Moscato of Little Falls, and Michele Moscato-Frega and her husband John of Wayne; he was the loved brother of the late Rita Rotiroti (deceased: December 7, 2019). He will be dearly missed by his dogs Mimi and Winnie, and his cats Cooper and Patty.

Note for papa from his daughters Danielle and Michele:

If you knew Charlie you loved him, and you knew how selfless he was. Even though he was a little crazy, a big pain in the butt, a micromanager of all things, and he never even attempted to make anything in his life easier for himself. He was a good man, and a great husband and an amazing father.

Everything he did in life, everything he sacrificed, was for me, my sister, and my mom.  And he sacrificed it all with joy and happiness, knowing he had taken care of us the best way he knew how.

Your lessons and words on life will always be in the back of our minds, and I know you’ll always be around us still making sure we are doing things the right the right way.

Even though we all suffer now without you here with us, I’m comforted to know you’re no longer suffering with pain, and all the other symptoms you pushed through to be here with us and make us happy.  We will all miss you more than I can really ever explain. Love you Papa, and thank you.

Mario Muniz, age 59, of Wayne, passed away on Monday, April 13, 2020 in Andover, NJ.

Mario was born in Paterson and attended the Paterson Schools.  He also attended William Paterson University in Wayne. He worked for Foot Star in the Accounting Dept. for five years.

Mario is preceded in death by his brother, David Muniz.

Mario is survived by his sister Migdalia Pozo (nee Muniz), his niece Skyler Pozo, his mother, brother, sister, several nieces, nephews and great nephews.

Marilyn Ruth Rijkse - 84 of Wyckoff passed away on April 13, 2020.  Born in Paterson, she was a long time resident of Wayne before moving to the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff.

Marilyn was born on November 24, 1935 in Paterson NJ to her loving parents Alice and George Jaasma, of Little Falls NJ.  There she grew up with her brother Ed.  She attended Eastern Christian Schools, and graduated from there in 1953. After graduation she became a key punch operator at Beattie Carpet Mill in Little Falls NJ.

A short time later, she met her husband Hank through some mutual friends.  Hank soon proposed to Marilyn and they were married a month later on October 10, 1959.  They enjoyed 53 years together before Hank passed away.

Marilyn was very devoted to her Christian faith and was a member of Second Reformed Church in Little Falls from 1959-1987.  She later was a member of Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne.

Marilyn was a loving wife of late Hendrik C Rijkse (2012); loving mother of Donna Veenstra and her husband Gerald of North Haledon, Lisa Dykstra and her husband Donald of North Haledon; dear sister of Ed and Dot Jaasma of Richmond Texas; grandmother of Andrew and Adam Dykstra, Allison Snyder and her husband Ryan, Alyssa, Kelsey, Brianne and Jenna Veenstra.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Christian Health Care Center, 301 Sicomac Avenue Wyckoff NJ 07481.

Helena Lapszynski, age 80, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 15, 2020 in the presence of, and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Helena was born in Prudnik, Poland to Antonio and Katarzyna Drobnicka. She was born and spent the first several years of her life at a time when the entire world was at war. She often needed to leave the house with her mother to hide in the fields from military forces while her father was sent away to a work camp. Helena’s father passed when she was 20 years old. She lived with her mom on their farm where the two worked to keep it as a working farm and business. She spoke of memories taking wheelbarrows of sugar beets, breads, and pies she would bake with her mom to sell at the town center. Helena was always a kind and outgoing girl who would stop to help others along her daily travels. She was known by all to give away much of the items she was planning to sell to those she thought were in need.  

Helena loved singing and dancing. She often attended her local village dances and was admired by many of the local boys. One night a handsome young man from outside of her village attended the dance and caught her eye. The boy was shy, and it took several weekend dances for him to get the courage to ask Helena to dance. That boy was Kazimierz Lapszynski. He courted Helena for about two years which forged their loving relationship and lead to their marriage on October 6th, 1961 in a small Roman Catholic Church in the city of Prudnik. Their first son Christopher was born less than 2 years later.

Kazimierz and Helena had huge aspirations for their future lives. In 1964 they packed just two suitcases and a small pocket full of cash. Kazimierz, Helena now six months pregnant with their second son John, and Christopher age 1, boarded a plane bound for New York. They we able to find an apartment in Garfield, New Jersey as they both worked vigorously to make ends meet and live their American dream. Four years later came her one and only little girl Irena. Helena worked odd jobs cleaning houses and caring for elders during the days while Kazimierz worked the night shifts. Just after they had relocated to Wayne NJ, Helena landed a well-paying job as a production-line worker at a local manufacturing company, eventually earring the position of line leader. She was admired by all for her intelligence, undeniable work ethic, and her positive attitude which she brought to work every day. After moving to Wayne, New Jersey, Helena gave birth to her youngest child, Joseph.

Helena later applied her incredible work ethic to her hobbies. She and Kazimierz prided themselves on being avid gardeners. In Pennsylvania, they owned a small farm where they bonded over maintaining their land. Few couples could work together, day in and day out, to maintain an orchard of fruit trees, a bountiful vegetable garden, an assortment of berry bushes, and several Honeybee colonies. She loved being outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight. Helena was also devoted to her Catholic faith. She and Kazimierz were parishioners of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Passaic for many years.  

Nothing meant more to Helena than spending quality time with her family. She was very involved with all her children’s activities even as she worked full time. Her family still swears that she was at each of their activities at the same time, even in different places. They always knew she would be at every sporting event because they could hear her cheering the loudest, which would put a happy and proud smile on their faces. While bonding and spending quality time with Irene, she became like a 2nd mom to all of her friends. Helena was able to create countless memories with her children and grandchildren at their property in Pennsylvania. There, they would spend their days swimming and canoeing in the lake, competing in frog races, collecting blueberries, and ending their nights by the campfire roasting s’mores. Helena’s homemade pierogis, golumpki, and kluski were a holiday and event staple for family and friends alike. She will always be remembered for having an incredibly kind heart, giving as much as she could to those in her life. The love she gave was contagious. Helena touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew her.

Helena is survived by her children; Christopher Lapszynski, John Lapszynski and his wife MaryBeth of Oak Ridge, Irene Gazzillo and her husband Nick of Freehold, and Joseph Lapszynski and his wife Jolanta of Garfield, along with ten grandchildren; Christopher, Brooke, Mark, Samantha, Kimberly, Nicholas, Kathleen, JohnPaul, Patrick, and Eric.  

Solicito Peralta, age 95 of Paterson, died on April 12, 2020.

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Rose T. Difasi (nee Corbacio), 91 of Wayne, died on April 12, 2020.  

Rose is survived by her four children; Vito Difasi of California, Joan Asch of Montebello, NY, Angela Difasi of Syracuse, NY, and Linda Difasi of Syracuse, NY.

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Katherine (Kitty) H.  Talerico nee (DeVuyst) age 88 passed away Sunday April 12, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

Katherine was born on September 26, 1931 in Paterson. Katherine was one of three children to Katherine and Joseph DeVuyst

She was raised in Paterson, Fairlawn and Totowa where she attended Passaic Valley High School, graduating with the class of 1949

Katherine met and then married her high school sweetheart Leonard Talerico at Holy Angles Church in Little Falls on July 22, 1951

Katherine and Len lived in Little Falls, Fair Lawn and Washington State before settling in Wayne NJ in 1962

Katherine attended beauty school while raising her family. In 1974 she and Len founded Tally's Trophy on Route 46 West in Little Falls. She was a fixture there for over 20 years until her retirement. She later volunteered many hours at Chilton Hospital's Gift shop.

Katherine and Len were founding Parishioners of Our Lady Of Consolation RC Church in Wayne.

Katherine was an energetic women who adored her children,  grandchildren and  great Grandchildren. She loved to decorate, host, cook and bake for every holiday.  She was an avid seamstress, crocheter and knitter. she also enjoyed tending to her flower gardens. Katherine organized and hosted many family reunions as she cherished being around all of her family.

Katherine was the loving wife of former Passaic County Surrogate and Treasurer Leonard F. Talerico (1989) loving mother of Leonard Talerico Jr (2018) his wife Lori of Vernon, Linda Talerico and her husband Dr. Anthony Romania of Stoneington CT , Cathy Talerico of Wayne and David Talerico and his wife Lisa of Wayne. Beloved sister in law to Bob and Bobbi Ryan and John Ribarich.  Cherished grandmother of 8 grandchildren and and 13 great grandchildren. Katherine is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Katherine was predeceased by her Brother Ronald De Vuyst and Sister Ellen Ribarich.

Memorial Donations may be made to: Camp Sunshine and Camp Snowflake  P.O. Box 99, Ridgewood NJ 07451

Camp Sunshine/Snowflake  is a recreational camp for the disabled which Kitty’s granddaughter Caitlin has attended for the past 25 years.

John Yee, age 69, of Wayne, NJ, passed away peacefully to join our Lord on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020.

Family, friends, and people who would meet John, even briefly, would describe him as a Gentle Man.  Affectionately called Poppi or Pop by the family, he blessed everyone he encountered with his kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity. Whether helping his children/grandchildren with homework, hanging a ceiling fan, doing everyone’s taxes, fixing just about anything, providing guidance or support, Pop was always there to help out with patience and a big smile.

John was a true Renaissance man.  Incredibly bright and intelligent, he knew and could speak about pretty much anything.  Cars, cooking, chemistry, music, literature, science, computers, trivia, you name it and he knew something about it.  He was a “jack of all trades”, master of some and bright enough to speak intelligibly about the rest.  

Some of John’s passions include preparing the turkey and hosting Thanksgiving dinner for family and anyone who didn’t have a place to go to celebrate, sampling and enjoying various cuisines, playing mahjong and going to the casinos with family, traveling, computers, crossword puzzles, bowling, Star Trek/Sci-Fi, fixing things and helping others but mostly, spending quality time with family and friends.

John’s number one passion here on earth was the love of his life over 50 years, his wife Gloria or Ling as he called her.  They started their life together as husband and wife in Miami, FL and both worked at Hydrocarbon Research He was focused on whatever made her happy as that brought him in the most joy in the world.  There is nothing that he would rather do than spend time with his partner in life, his loving wife, and his best friend.  Raising the family, going to the gym, walking the dogs, shopping, going out for a bite to eat, ballroom dancing, bowling, watching movies, and just doing anything where they could be together are what they most enjoyed doing.

In addition to all of this, John made time to serve his Lord and others at First Lutheran Church of Clifton where he served on the Church Council, Usher, Communion Assistant and also help with VBS.  He also helped behind the scenes at the OCA, Organization of Chinese Americans, where Laura, Alyson, Jenny, Crystal, and Sheryl (his niece) serve as Board Members.

John was the rock and foundation of our family.  He was the loving husband to Gloria for 46 years, beloved and caring father to Derek and his wife Jenny of Rockaway, NJ, Laura of Wayne, NJ, Jonathan (who is already in heaven. and his wife Darlene of Victory Gardens, NJ, Alyson of Wayne, NJ; devoted and nurturing grandfather to Crystal, Devin, Danica, Cinnamon, and Caleb; dear brother to Sheck Young, David, Calvin, James, John and Steven and dear uncle to numerous nieces, nephews and grandnieces/nephews.

John has joined our Heavenly Father and our family members in heaven.  His warm smile, big heart, and willingness to help will be missed by all.

Donations in John's memory would be greatly appreciated.  Please consider the First Lutheran Church, 1337 Van Houten Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013.

Sabato “Sam” Laurito, age 83, of Wayne passed away peacefully as a result of complications of the Coronavirus on Saturday, April 11, 2020, at The Atrium at Wayne.

Sam was born on October 17, 1936, in Paterson, New Jersey to Pasquale and Anna (Merola) Laurito.  Upon graduating from High School in 1954, Sam’s love of construction, led him to be a Sheetrock Installer.  He was a proud member of the Carpenter’s Union Local 253 for 40 years.

On April 5, 1959, Sam married his sweetheart, Joan D’Andrea. They have been married for 61 years and they raised one daughter, Marianne, who will always hold her caring and kind-hearted father in her heart. Sam adored his daughter, Marianne, and on the weekends, the family enjoyed taking car rides to different places and finding new ice cream parlors.

Sam was always on the move!  He enjoyed playing Pinochle and hanging out with his friends Peppo, Ralph DeMarco, Richie Rizzo, Jerry Giannella, Champ Rana, Charlie Presta and Julius Funicello at the Riverside Vets and St. Anthony’s Club in Paterson.  His favorite hobbies included: football, horseracing and visiting Atlantic City to play Dice and Blackjack.

Sam’s favorite vacation spot was Myrtle Beach.  He and Joan enjoyed visiting his Brother-In-Law, Gerald Zisa and late Sister, Eleanor Zisa, where they spent summer vacations on the beach and dining out.  Back home in Jersey, Sam cherished his Sister, Frances and Brother-In-Law, Bill Gulino’s company at their home in Wayne or dining at McDonalds!   Sam also enjoyed visiting his daughter and son-in-law’s home in Howell, where he relaxed by the pool and watched sports.  He would always say, “my son-in-law, Jim treats me better than a son”.

Poppy, as he was known to his Grandsons, Christopher and Dylan, was a dedicated Grandfather, who always cheered for them when they played sports such as football, basketball and baseball.  Poppy was always very proud of them and everyone knew who he was cheering for!

Sam is survived by his Wife, Joan Marra D’Andrea Laurito; Daughter, Marianne Laurito McVeigh and her Husband, Jim of Howell; and his Grandsons, Christopher and Dylan.  He was also loved by his Grand-doggie, Sparky Julius.  Sam is also survived by his Sister, Frances Gulino and her Husband, Bill; Brother-In-Law, Gerald Zisa. and many nieces and nephews.  Sam was predeceased by his Sister, Eleanor Zisa.  He will be missed by all, because he always had a funny joke or story to tell.

Mary Griffin (nee Dorosh), age 101 of Wayne, died on April 10, 2020.  Mary is survived by two daughters; Maureen Giuliano and Patricia Paylo.

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Kuang Ming Luo age 74 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday, April 10, 2020 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Kuang Ming was born in Taipei, Taiwan and was the third oldest son of seven children to Huisan and Hui Luo.  Kuang Ming received all of his formal education in Taiwan.  He received his Bachelor’s Degree at the National Cheng Kung University.  He then enrolled at the National Taiwan University where he earned his Master’s Degree in Biochemistry.  Subsequent to receiving his Master’s, Kuang Ming earned his PhD in Food Science in the United States at Rutgers University.

Kuang Ming came to the United States in 1971, and after graduating from Rutgers with his PhD he went to work as a Biochemist for about five years.  Following his career as a Biochemist, Kuang utilized his wide range of extensive education and became an Independent Investor.  He did this for about fifteen years and became quite good at it.

In 1970 Kuang Ming was introduced by some mutual friends to a lovely young attractive woman by the name of Shirling Chen.  The two of them hit it off great and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on July 29, 1971.  After getting married, the couple settled in Piscataway where they lived for about eight years.  Shirling and Kuang Ming then moved to Wayne where they have lived for nearly forty years raising their two daughters Ingrid and Audrey.  Because Kuang Ming had a PhD in Biochemistry, it was no surprise that he was an avid and ferocious reader.  Kuang Ming also loved to listen to music, opera being his favorite genre.  Kuang Ming was a quiet and very private man and his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to him than providing for and spending time with his wife and two daughters.  Kuang Ming was an extraordinary man who touched the lived of everyone he knew and will be sincerely missed.

Kuang Ming is survived by his wife Shirling (Chen) of Wayne, two daughters: Ingrid Luo-Tseng MD of North Carolina, and Audrey Luo of Wayne; son-in-law Henry Tseng MD, PhD of North Carolina; two grandchildren: Perry Tseng and Susan Tseng; four brothers: Kenyon Luo MD of California, Paul Luo MD of California, Tom Luo of California, and Edwin Luo also of California; two sisters: Amy Pang and Ruby Lin both of Taiwan; and nieces and nephews: John Luo MD, Vivian Luo Hsu, Jeffrey Luo MD, Dennis Luo, Sharon Lin, Eric Lin, Stephanie Luo, Cynthia luo, Sabrina Luo, Karen Chiu, Kevin Chiu, and Renee Chiu.

Dan was born on March 1, 1949 in Kearny, NJ to Dan, Sr and Regina Marty. He was the eldest of 3 children. Siblings are Michael Marty and Colleen Steinhauer.

He grew up in Packanack Lake and graduated from Immaculate Heart and Seton Hall University, achieving a BS degree in Business. He worked as a credit manager for Orhbach's Dept. Store and later as a rate analyst for the Board of Public Utilities for the State of NJ. Before retiring, he was an auditor for RGIS, retail inventory specialists

He met the love of his life as a blind date in Point Pleasant, NJ. Dan and Sandy were soul mates from the beginning and loved to travel and dance.Their friends referred to them as Ken and Barbie as they were inseparable. Dan had a special connection with his father in law, Nicholas Del Corso, and worked with him during his spare time, Nick called Dan "Danno" in reference to Hawaii 5O. Dan was predeceased by his both parents and beloved brother Mickey but he maintained a loving relationship with his sister in law Irene.

Dan was a member of the National Guard during the Vietnam War and a proud member of American Legion Post 1000.

Dan and Sandy were married in St Philip's Church, Clifton and enjoyed 40 beautiful years together. They married on October 5, 1979 and Dan celebrated their monthly anniversary, showering Sandy with gifts (mostly jewelry!} for many years.

He will also be missed by his furry children, 2 cats named Ebony and Nicole, who were also at his side when he passed. He left this life in the arms of his beloved Sandy.

He leaves many friends and family, particularly, sister in law, Irene Marty, and 3 nephews, Mickey Marty, Brian and Todd Steinhauer and 2 nieces Ashley Marty Reading and Amy Steinhauer, his mother in law, Margaret,brother in law Kerry Del Corso, sister in law, Gabrielle Del Corso, and nephew, David Del Corso.

Alba Penton (nee Perez), age 88, formerly of Guttenberg and Union City passed away peacefully on Friday, April 10, 2020, with her family at her bedside.

Alba was born in Fomento, Cuba, and was one of two children born to Marcos and Eulalia Perez.  Alba spent her formative years in Cuba.  She went on to further her education before moving the United States.   While living in Cuba, she met a handsome young man by the name of Luis Penton.  Luis was very taken by Alba.  As fate would have it; they fell in love and were married in Cuba.   The couple immigrated to the United States and settled in Union City, NJ.

Years later, Luis and Alba welcomed the births of their daughters, Maria and Rosa.  Alba devoted herself to being a full-time homemaker.  After her children had grown, she worked as a talented dressmaker. Alba went on to become a retail associate for more than ten years.  Alba was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Alba and Luis cherished many years of a loving and loyal marriage until his passing in 2005.  Following his passing, Alba moved to Guttenberg to be closer to her daughter Rosa.  She was an excellent cook, her specialty being her empanadas, croquettes, and rice pudding. Bread pudding with guava and Coconut Flan were her favorite dishes for any holiday.  She was dedicated to her family as well as her catholic faith, attending weekly services at the Parish of the Holy Redeemer, in Guttenberg , NJ.   Alba always knew what was right for her family and took great pride in teaching them valuable life lessons, whether you wanted to hear them or not.

Her memory will be cherished by in the lives of her daughters, Maria Krisa and her husband Paul of Wayne, NJ, and Rosa Bamert and her husband Joe of Guttenberg, NJ.  Two granddaughters, Lauren Hannan and her husband James of Voorhees, NJ, and Melissa Madaio and her husband Michael of Basking Ridge, NJ.  Abuela was blessed  with two beautiful great-granddaughters Ella Hannan and Sophia Madaio.

Many referred to her as Abuela, which means “Grandmother” in Spanish.  She was an extraordinary and very

wise woman who touched the lives of many people. Everyone that knew her will sadly miss her.  Alba was predeceased by her husband, Luis Penton  Alba will be laid to rest with her husband Luis Penton in Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, NJ.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Alba’s honor may be sent to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.

Adele Quinn, age 90 of Wayne, died on April 10, 2020.  She is survived by her husband John of Wayne, and two children; Lisa Arias of Wayne, and Jack Littman-Quinn of Sarasota.

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Henry Wiesner, age 102, passed Thursday, April 9, 2020.

Henry was born in Paterson, raised for several years at 234 Totowa Road in Totowa, before the family moved to Paterson where he graduated from Central High School with the Class of 1936.

Just out of high school Henry found work as a bookkeeper for the Manhattan Shirt Company in Prospect Park.  He also served as a bookkeeper for Charles Minter’s Appliance Company in Haskell.  Henry was called to serve just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the US Army during WWII and was stationed in Hawaii for much of his service.  During his service he served as a bookkeeper and accountant for a medical division.

Upon his honorable discharge he returned to Paterson where he found work as a bookkeeper for Saint Joseph’s Hospital in the city.  He worked for Saint Joseph’s Hospital for over fifty years having worked as an engineer for building maintenance, reviewing construction contracts, and was finally a Facility Planner when he retired in 1995 at the age of 77.  He truly loved his work and continued to work for the hospital for another three years with no salary.

Henry lost his loving wife Elsie in 1972 and found love and companionship with a co-worker at the hospital named Marge Austin.  They became dear friends, traveling, spending holidays together, and enjoying each other’s families, for over thirty years before Marge’s passing.  Oh how he loved their trips to Aruba or going on a cruise once he was retired.

Those who knew Henry will remember him as a meticulous, organized, loving man who was quiet in demeanor but steadfast in conviction and made a difference in many lives without any fanfare or desire to be thanked. He was a Mr. Fix-It when it came to just about anything. He was a regular at the Wayne Public Library as he was a voracious reader with a thirst for knowledge, sometimes reading three books a week. He always tried to stay in good physical shape and up until 2016 would ride his stationary bike just about every day.  He was very independent and lived on his own until 99 years young.  In fact, he drove until the age of 98.

Henry was the loving husband of the late Elsie Wiesner (1972); he was the loving companion of the late Marge Austin for over thirty years; he was the devoted father of Jeffrey Wiesner of Flagstaff, AZ; dear brother of the late Edna Kammerer and the late Paul Wiesner; he was the loving uncle of MaryLou Baisch and her late husband Charles (2015).  He was also the much loved great-uncle (known to each as “Unc) to Jane and Gerry Harlan, Laurie and William Roemer, Judy and James Bakonyi, Diane and George Axberg; great-great uncle to Jenny and Chris McGillick, Justin and Brooke Harlan, Kristin and Matt Saskowitz, Sarah and John Hendrickson, Jenna and William Leib, Canel Axberg and Summer Axberg; and great-great-great uncle to Cash and Weston Harlan and Kaleigh and Dylan McGillick.

Throughout the years, Henry was also very close to Marge’s family which included her children Barbara and Louis Vecchione, William and Linda Austin, and Robert and Jo-anne Austin; their children Todd and Rebecca Vecchione, Chris and Leah Vecchione, Amanda and Christopher Austin, Allison (Henry’s God Daughter), Sarah, Elizabeth and Emily Austin; and their great grandchildren Elizabeth Rose Vecchione and Michael and Sarah Vecchione.  

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, 703 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07503 would be appreciated.

Orlando “Lon” Paul Fila, age 93 of Boonton passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

Lon was born to Jack and Flora Fila in North Bergen, NJ.  He graduated from Cliffside Park High School in 1943.

He enlisted in the US Navy in 1944 and served in World War II as Radioman Third Class until his discharge in July, 1946, 8 months of which were spent in the South Pacific area.  He then re-enlisted and served during the Korean War until his discharge in 1954.

Lon met the love of his life, his beautiful wife of 64 years, Evelyn “Evey” Marie Schneider (d. November 17, 2011), through mutual friends.  They married on April 13, 1947 at Our Lady of Liberia Church, West New York.  At that time, Lon was employed by The Home Insurance Company in New York City where he continued his employment, when not serving in the military, until 1964.  While Lon worked full time, he also enrolled in New York University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959.  In 1964 he began a long career with Shop Rite of Boonton as store manager and then for Shop Rite Liquors in Lincoln Park until his retirement in 1988.

Lon and Evey started their family in 1950 when they lived in Edgewater.  They eventually settled in Pequannock in 1954 and enjoyed raising their 4 children there until 1988 when they moved to Barnegat Township to enjoy what they loved most – fishing, crabbing, boating and having their children and grandchildren for extended stays to enjoy it with.  In the early years when his children were young, Lon was a scout master and a little league umpire.  He loved being involved in the community, and after retirement he was known to make weekly trips to the Barnegat Food Pantry to bring donations from Brighton at Barnegat where he and Evey lived.  He wrote the monthly newsletter for his community, was very involved with the politics of his community, and never hesitated to write a letter to his congressman or senator to express what was on his mind and how improvements could be made for the benefit of his community.  He never threw anything out that he could “fix”.  He taught a Defensive Drivers Safety Course; as a result he knew the speed limit on every road he traveled, and made sure you knew it too!  He participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Barnegat High School which opened in September, 2004, and helped build one of the many recreational parks for the Barnegat youth.  He and Evey loved to travel and made many trips in their camper to Florida, out West and to Cape Hatteras where their favorite campground was a dune away from the beach.  One of his favorite hobbies was tuning up cars and was so upset when he could no longer tinker with the computerized engines.

Lon will be remembered as a man who devoted his life to his loving wife and children who he raised to be honest, loyal, ethical, and most importantly, to treat others as equals and as we would want to be treated.  He always looked for ways to help people, whether a friend or stranger, and was loved by all who knew him.  He had a great sense of humor and would always see the bright side of any situation.  He did not dwell on things out of his control and was always striving for precision in everything he did. He lived a life of service to his community, his country and to God.  For many years he was a devout member of the Holy Name Society and dedicated many hours in 1960 to help build the north wing of Holy Spirit Church in Pequannock.

Lon will be profoundly missed by his loving children, Craig and his wife Peggy of Boonton, Denita Laprezioso and her husband Phil of Naples, Florida, Teresa Nystrom and her husband Dwight of Pompton Lakes, Patricia Zonsa of Brick and her fiancé Alan Mitnick; cherished grandfather of Nicholas Laprezioso and his wife Elena, Sarah Nystrom and her fiancé Vincent Wood and Michael Zonsa; and great grandfather of Riley and Jacob Laprezioso; step-grandfather of Marie Evans, her husband Frank of Boonton and their three children Jamie, Shelby and Anthony.  He was also the loved brother of Norma Davidson (d. October 2019) and the loved father-in-law of Michael Zonsa (d. November 2007).

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Lon’s honor may be sent to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.

Susan Seltenheim (nee Stickle) 70 of Wayne passed away on April 6, 2020.

She was born in Morristown, NJ to Dudley and Doris Stickle (nee Pape) and lived her entire life in Wayne, NJ.  She was predeceased by her sister Virginia Marinella, brothers Edmund Stickle and Richard Wilde.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years Karl E. Seltenheim, Jr.; her son Scott K. Seltenheim and his wife Katie of Jefferson Township, PA; her grandchildren Clare, Grace and Colin Seltenheim which she loved dearly.  She most recently enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow up.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to The United Methodist Church in Wayne, 99 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470 in Susan’s memory.

William T. Pellegrini, age 63, of Wayne passed away peacefully as a result of complications of the Corona Virus on Sunday April 5th, 2020, at St Joseph's Hospital in Paterson

William ("Bill") was the youngest of three children of Anne and William U. Pellegrini. Bill cherished his memories of growing up on Rutgers Court  in Wayne.  In 1975, he graduated from Wayne Valley High School and in September,  joined the U.S. Coast Guard. Bill spent 10 years in the Coast Guard, stationed at New York's Governor's Island and later in Sacramento and San Diego, CA.  He was a helicopter crewmen and saved many lives patrolling our oceans on the east and west coasts. He also enjoyed skydiving, skiing and rock climbing in California.

He returned home to Wayne in 1985. He was a caring individual, who worked for Christian Health Care, transporting the elderly and bringing them to several day care centers.  He also caddied at Preakness Hills Country Club for many years.  Bill enjoyed the game of chess and competed in many tournaments through the years.  At one point, he had a United Federation Chess ranking of 1200 across the Eastern United States. He also taught young people the game of chess at the Wayne Public Library. Bill also acquired his pilot's license and flew single engine Cessna planes in San Diego, and later, out of Lincoln Park Airport.  Bill greatly enjoyed spending vacation time with his mother and dear sister, Rina Pellegrini, in Cancun and, later at Rina's  home in Rehoboth Beach, DE.  In his younger years, Bill enjoyed fishing and building/launching model rockets with his nephew, Michael.

During the last years of her life, Bill cared for his beloved mother, Anne, which allowed her to live the remainder of her life happily and comfortably at home.  At that time, Bill developed a deep friendship with his mom's companion, Frank Scotti, which lasted many years until his passing. Bill also spent his time as a caregiver for his good friends.

He is survived by his brother James and sister-in-law, Deborah, of Wayne and sister, Rina, of Rehoboth Beach, DE. Also his loving nephew, Michael Pellegrini, of Hoboken, along with many friends and cousins.

Kenneth H. Keane age 76 died suddenly at home on Sunday, April 5th.

Born in Passaic, NJ he lived in Wayne for over 45 years and was self-employed before retirement.

He was predeceased by his parents Howard & Vivian Keane, brother Kevin Keane and sister Kathleen Szedlacik.

He is survived by his wife Cecelia of 48 years, son Christopher and his wife Kristen, daughter Shannon Daroch and her husband Rod and son Justin and his wife Christina. He also leaves behind six grandchildren, Caitlin, Mackenzie and Emily Keane, Colin and Ciara Daroch and Rowan James Keane. He is survived by his sister Maureen Wolf and her husband William, his brother Dennis and his wife Maureen as well as six nieces and nephews.

Ken will be remembered most by his love and concern for his family as well as many happy hours spent at his beach house in Lavallette.

Audrey Alida Koropsak(nee Cahalja), 85 of Wayne sadly passed away Saturday, April 4, 2020.

Audrey leaves behind a large loving family of three children, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  Her loving family members are daughter, JoEllen Albertini and her husband Joseph and their four children Eileen Blom and her husband Colin of Chatham, Julianne Serratelli and her husband Robert of Springfield, Richard and his finance Eloy Garcia of Houston, Texas and Lisa Blauvelt and her husband David, son Michael and his wife Gloria of Wayne and their son Michael, son Bruce and his wife Maria of New Oxford, PA and their children Alexander and Jennifer Kleiner and her husband Justin. Last but not least her adoring great grandchildren Matthew, Benjamin, Emily, Ryan and Bradley.

She was raised in Hawthorne and graduated from Hawthorne High School where she was a drum majorette.  Shortly after graduation she married her HS sweetheart Alexander.

She moved to Wayne 61 years ago and remained there. She was employed by Wayne Township as a secretary for the Department of Public Works for many years until her retirement.

She was a fashion icon everything had to match. Always spent time with her family never skipped a beat. In her later years she enjoyed computer games, shopping and spoiling her great grandchildren. Her energy was contagious. She never met an animal she didn't like and vise versa.She was an intregal part of our family, extended family and friends aka "Gma". She touched so many lives.  She will be sorely missed and remembered by many.

She is predeceased by her husband Alexander, her mother Anna(nee Molema) Fredricks and her step father Albert Fredricks.

Robert C. Finnegan of Wayne, much-loved husband, father, brother, and uncle passed away at the young age of 55, on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Bob grew up in Wayne, along with his parents, sister and three brothers, in their family home on 41 Brookwood Drive in Packanack Lake.

As a young boy, Bob’s family bought a plot of land just outside Burlington, Vermont and built a farmhouse. His greatest memories of those days was spending quality time with his dad, learning how to build and repair every part of a home.  Summers were spent outside, down by the creek and in the field.  Winters were for skiing and for Smugglers Notch.

Bob had an incredible work ethic.  His first job, as a young man, was working with his father and brothers at the Garden State Paper Mill. If he wasn’t at the Mill or Valet parking, he was making trouble with friends all over Packanack. After graduating from DePaul Catholic High School with the Class of 1982, Robert attended the College of Insurance in New York City. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and went on to enjoy a career in the insurance field, working currently and for the last twelve years as an Insurance Broker VP for Risk Placement Services (RPS).

1987 would be a year that changed Bob’s life forever. It was that year, while visiting his cousins in Ireland, that he met the girl who would become his wife. Her name was Anna Lenehan, the tall, beautiful, brown eyed girl next door. Wasting no time, Bob asked her out on a date – a visit to the nearby Cliffs of Moher. They only had the chance to go out two more times before he had to return to the United States. After a few weeks of exchanging daily letters and the occasional long distance phone call, Bob had worked up the courage to ask Anna to marry him. And before they knew it, Bob was back in Ireland and on Saturday, August 27, 1988, Bob and Anna shared their wedding promises. Robert and Anna’s affection for each other remained strong for all thirty-one plus years of marriage.  During their life together, Bob and Anna had the pleasure of traveling to Europe, Mexico, and the States, but were never as happy as when they were at home together with the family.

Bob loved life and enjoyed a myriad of hobbies and pastimes. From the time he was a little kid, Bob was on skis. Winters with his parents and siblings at Smugglers’ Notch grew to include his wife and children, and the love of the mountains was passed down. Learning from his dad, Bob never turned down a challenge.  Whether building a deck out back, or rebuilding the snow blower, he took on every project with passion and confidence.  Except, maybe, the drop ceiling in the basement. Bob loved to be outside, puttering around the yard or fixing the family cars, always with his dogs by his side and his wife and kids just around the corner.

Bob loved a good joke.  He was the first to prank and loudest to laugh. There were many fun years of late night screams, cold glasses of water dumped in the shower, and hiding behind doors.  Bob was a great story-teller, and you could usually find him at the corner of a party, regaling a small crowd with the story of the man and the can of creamed corn. He was always up for a good debate, but never one to tell you you were wrong.  Unless, of course, you were wrong.

Above all else, Bob was never happier than when he was in the company of his wife and children. Loving, loyal and devoted, he was a tremendous source of joy in their lives and will be missed greatly until that time they are reunited.

Bob was the beloved husband of Anna; loving father of: Christina and her husband Brian, James and his fiancée Genevieve, Megan, and Caileigh; the youngest child of Donald and Rosemary Finnegan and dear brother of Donald Finnegan, Thomas Finnegan,  the late Rosemary Agostinho, the late James Finnegan. He is also survived by many dear nieces and nephews and many lifelong friends.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Bob’s name are asked to consider one of the following charities:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Memorial Processing

501 St. Jude Place

Memphis, TN 38105-9959

(Click here to donate online)

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Shriners Hospitals for Children

2900 Rocky Point Drive

Tampa, FL 33607

(Click here to donate online)

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The Salvation Army

New Jersey Division

P.O. Box 3170

Union, NJ 07083

(Click here to donate online)

Kersti Raimondo (nee Ruga) age 78, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday April 3, 2020 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Kersti was born in Tori, Estonia and was one of two children to Eduard and Leida Ruga.  Due to the invasion of communism in Estonia, Kersti and her family fled their homeland and were living for some time in various refugee camps in Germany.  Kersti’s father was an accomplished and acclaimed artist in Estonia.  Because of this, the family was fortunate enough to immigrate to the United States by way of sponsorship of an American artist.  The family settled in Stroudsburg, PA and also lived in the Poconos are for approximately three to four years.  Kersti and her family then moved to Paterson, NJ and then Elmwood Park where her parents spent the next fifty years.

Kersti attended Elmwood Park High School where she was Captain of the Cheerleading team and President of the Student Counsel.   Following Kersti’s graduation from high school with the class of 1960, she attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she studied to be an Artist.  In 1964, Kersti graduated from Pratt with her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.

During the summers, Kersti enjoyed frequenting the Jersey Shore, particularly Seaside Heights.  One summer in Seaside, Kersti caught the eye of a dark haired handsome young man named Joseph Raimondo.  The two of them hit it off great and started dating.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married in May of 1965.  The couple settled in Haledon where they lived for a short time, then moved to the Pines Lake section Wayne where they remained for the rest of their lives together.  Kersti, after getting married, devoted herself to being a homemaker.  She was a truly dedicated wife and cared for her husband Joe tirelessly.  Kersti and Joe cherished thirty-eight years of loving and loyal marriage together until Joe’s passing in 2003.

Kersti had a genuinely deep love for animals, particularly cats.  For many years, Kersti funded and ran the Patch Animal Shelter in Pompton Lakes.  Kersti also enjoyed traveling and cruising with her husband Joe to a variety of destinations including her homeland of Estonia.  She was also an avid tennis player, participating in women’s leagues in her local area.  Kersti was the kind of person that got along with everyone.  She was generous, giving and wonderfully sympathetic.  Above all, she was honest and had integrity.  Kersti was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Kersti is survived by her sister Silja Melts and her husband Riho of Glen Cove, NY, one niece Liisa Shimabukuro and her husband Carlos of Virginia, she is also survived by her dearest friend Lorry Anzaldo of Parlin, NJ; loved aunt of Bobby Raimondo and his wife Kim of Arizona.   Kersti was predeceased by her husband Joseph Raimondo in 2003.

A Memorial Visitation is now scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2020 from 2:00 to 6:00 pm with a 5:30 pm Memorial Service.

Joseph Edward Gibbs, Jr., passed Chairman of St Josephs Hospital and Medical Center Board of Directors was called to his eternal rest by his Lord Jesus on Friday, April 3, 2020.

He was born in Paterson to Joseph and Lillian Gibbs and was a resident of Wayne Township for over fifty years.  Mr. Gibbs graduated from Seton Hall University.  He was a US Army Veteran having served in Germany.   He was employed for over forty years with New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, now Verizon, as Director of Community and Public Relations.

In the 1950’s, Joe and Rose Marie met at a wedding.  They hit it off and were soon married on December 28, 1957.  After a honeymoon to Colonial Williamsburg, which included a heavy snow storm, they settled in Wayne.  Throughout the years, Rose Marie and Joe enjoyed many wonderful vacations and cruises, touring Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and many trips with Rotary International.  They celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a trip to Hawaii, and marked sixty-two years of marriage this past December.  Rose Marie  and Joe were blessed with a summer home at Long Beach Island, NJ, where they loved to spend the summers with all of their grandchildren.  Summertime trips to the pool at the Haven Beach Yacht Club is where they made many lasting memories at the shore.  The family will cherish those memories for many years to come.

Joe served as a trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center and served on its Foundation Board for more than twenty years. He was the Past President of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce, North Jersey Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce.  Joe was very active in Rotary International, was a member of the Nutley Club, Phillipsburg Club, previously served as President of the Rutherford Rotary Club, and was a member of the Wayne Rotary Club. He served as District Governor of Rotary International District 7490 and was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award - the highest honor in Rotary. He was also awarded the Walter D. Head Award during his over fifty years of Rotary service to others.

He was a lifetime member of the telephone Pioneers, served as Director of the Clifton Boys and Girls Club, Director of the Passaic County Chapter of the American Red Cross.  He was a Past Trustee of the Wayne Foundation for the Handicapped, was a recipient of the Paterson Boys and Girls Club Man of the Year award and Boys Scouts Explorer Award.  He served as Past President of the Haven Beach Yacht Club on Long Beach Island where he had a summer home for many years.  At LBI he enjoyed boating and fishing with his family and treasured those days-especially those with his five grandchildren. Joe, always volunteered his time as it wasn’t in his nature to so no to any worthy cause.

In retirement he served the Township of Wayne, as Director of the Wayne Township Industrial and Economic Development Commission for twelve years. He was a parishioner of Holy Cross R.C. Church of Wayne, and served as a member of its Finance Committee for over twenty-five years as well as serving as an usher at the 10 o’clock Mass for over fifty years.

Also during retirement Joe and Rose Marie traveled extensively on cruises to many island in the Caribbean and cruises to Bermuda, Alaska, through the Panama Canal, and Hawaii. They also had European adventures to Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, and Mexico.

Joe was the devoted husband of sixty-two years to the late Rose Marie Gibbs (d. March 14, 2020); he was the loving father Rosemarie Mastroieni and her husband Mark of Wayne; cherished grandfather of five grandchildren; Kathleen Horvath and her husband Scott of Windsor, Colorado, Amy Woods and her husband Michael of Kinnelon, Erin Dubow and her husband Justin of Wayne, Dr. Rebecca Mastroieni of Glen Rock, and Mark Mastroieni of Wayne, and five great-grandchildren; Leah Horvath, Ian Horvath, Olivia Dubow, Ryan Dubow, and Alexandra Woods; he was also the loved brother of the late Eileen Pascrell (d. May of 2019).

In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Joe’s honor to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital or the Rotary Foundation would be greatly appreciated.

Giacinto “Gino” “Gene” Gorga, 76, of Wayne, New Jersey, peacefully succumbed to health complications from COPD and heart issues surrounded by his family on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Giacinto will join his beloved wife of 47 years, Antonia, in the kingdom of heaven.  Giacinto was a devoted father to his daughter Teresa Giudice of Towaco, son in law Giuseppe Giudice, and son Giuseppe Gorga and his wife Melissa of Montville and a cherished Nonno to Gia Giudice, Gabriella Giudice, Milania Giudice, Audriana Giudice, Antonia Gorga, Giuseppe Gorga, and Giacinto Gorga.

Giuseppe and Rosa Gorga gave birth to Giacinto in Sala Consalina, Italy on September 8, 1943, he was the youngest of five siblings. On December 27, 1969 Giacinto married the love of his life Antonia.  They were married only a short time when they decided that there was a better life waiting for them in America and on October 13, 1971 Antonia and Giacinto, without being able to speak a word of English bravely left behind their life in Italy to travel to the United States in search of the American Dream.  They settled in Paterson when they first arrived in a small attic apartment. Giacinto got a job washing dishes in a small restaurant called the Mona Lisa in West Paterson. Paterson was the place they would call their home for many years and raise their two children, Teresa and Giuseppe. Giacinto later moved in to the business of construction.  He became an entrepreneur and purchased his own shoe repair store in Butler New Jersey in 1976, following that he then opened Interstate Shoe Repair in Ramsey, New Jersey where he worked until his retirement.  He came from Italy to America as an immigrant with many struggles but persevered made a successful life with his most important value always being his family and supporting them.  Nothing mattered more to him than being a strong husband and father, he took great pride in his wife, daughter and son and had a strong sense of family values that he passed along to his children and grandchildren. Sunday dinners or outings anywhere were a priority in his life as long as they were together as a family.

While living in Paterson for many years they were parishioners of St Mary’s RC Church and later at St. Gerard’s RC Church also in Paterson. Eventually Giacinto and Antonia move to the Town of Wayne, and were parishioners of St. Josephs in Lincoln Park for the last seventeen years.

Giacinto and his wife Antonia both knew how cooking could bring family together and made meals an important part of there lives to bring family and friends together. After his wife passed he moved into his daughter Teresa’s home, he continued the love of cooking and sharing the tradition with his granddaughters. Giacinto enjoyed traveling with his daughter, son and grandchildren all throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, also making the trip back to Italy in November of 2019 to see his childhood home and visit with family.

The love that Antonia and Giacinto shared was one for the record books, to say that he was devoted to his late wife, Antonia, would be an understatement, he would visit her at the mausoleum every single day, even the days he was traveling or ill he would go twice to make up for the days he missed.  Antonia and Giacinto cherished forty-seven years of loving and loyal marriage. Giacinto was at a complete loss after his wife passed three years ago, but remained strong to assist his daughter, Teresa with her four daughters. He was the most active grandfather often bringing his youngest granddaughter back and forth to dance daily as well as often shuttling the others to activities, even teaching eldest granddaughter Gia to drive.

Giacinto was the life of the party, always making sure everyone was having a good time, making sure they had a full glass and full plate, always making sure everyone was laughing around him. You could find him raising a glass of Johnnie Walker blue to anyone he knew.  He found so much joy shopping with his beloved daughter Teresa, he could often be found riding side by side with his daughter around town grabbing lunch or even going for manicure and pedicure.  He touched the lives of so many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him. To know him was to love him, he didn’t meet anyone that didn’t fall in love with him.  Our beloved Nonno you will be forever missed.  

A special thank you to the people at St. Josephs Hospital in Wayne, NJ for their loving care and support, especially Dr. N.Matalkah of Wayne, Dr.G.Pavlou of Woodland Park and Dr. M.Salimi of Wayne and Dr.M.Biehl of Wayne and the amazing nursing staffs. With each visit the staff made us feel loved and supported, a sincerest thank you from our family. Special thanks to the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home.

Pedro Ramirez, age 79, of Pompton Lakes, passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Pedro was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico on October 26, 1940 to Modesto and Petra

Ramirez. He spent much of his younger years in Caguas, Puerto Rico. As a teenager, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York in search of a better life. Pedro graduated from Eli Whitney’s Vocational High School Engineering Division in 1959.

Pedro went straight to work and soon married. He worked at the American Book Bindery on the West Side of New York City. He was always so proud of his craft. In the latter years of his work career he worked for Shutkind and Marini Construction in Mount Vernon, New York. His artistic and engineering talents were very special.

One of Pedro’s greatest joys was cooking. He was the best! His meals, especially his most loved “pernil,” brought everyone such happiness and will be missed. Pedro was a lifelong Mets fan. He also loved horse racing and enjoyed going to the racetrack. Most of all, Pedro loved being with family.

Pedro was a loving father. He adored his children. He gave his daughter meaningful trinkets and shared with his son an unmatched miniature car collection. These will be cherished forever. However, the most important gift he gave his children was the gift of his unconditional love and the importance of family. Pedro left his children a legacy of life, laughter, and love. To his grandchildren, he was affectionately called “Tata.” Tata was ever present in their lives. He beamed with love and pride, sharing all of their accomplishments.

Pedro had a deep connection with his brothers and sisters and their spouses. Growing up, they were inseparable and that continued throughout their adult lives. In addition, he also shared a deep connection with his many nephews and nieces. “Tio Pete” was always the life of the party.

Pedro was the loving father of Theresa Marini and her husband Nick of Lincoln Park, New Jersey and Peter Ramirez and his wife Tammy of Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. He was the cherished grandfather of Nicole Miller and her husband Shane of Rockaway, New Jersey, Joseph Marini and his fiancé Antonia of Roanoke, Virginia, and Sarah Rose Marini of Lincoln Park, New Jersey. He was the dearly loved great grandfather of Sam Miller. He is also survived by his much loved brothers, Antonio Ramirez and his wife Isabel of Brooklyn, New York, Modesto Ramirez and his wife Anna of Courtdale, Pennsylvania, Enrique Ramirez and his wife Ceci of Caguas, Puerto Rico, and Fausto Ramirez and his wife Maria of Pompton Plains, New Jersey. He is survived by his adoring sisters Mary Ramirez of Westfield, Massachusetts and Sonia Miranda and her husband Tito of Bellmawr, New Jersey.

Loretta Lee Chow, age 83, of Chinatown, New York City, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Loretta’s grandparents, both maternal and fraternal, immigrated from China in search of the American dream. Thus, Loretta was born at home on 33-37 Mott Street in Chinatown, New York, the daughter of Foo S. Lee and Helen Lee (Ng).

She was a graduate of Washington Irving High School in Manhattan, an all-girls school in NYC with the Class of 1955.

Loretta’s first job as a young woman was with Western Union, but in an effort to contribute to the best life possible for her family, the bulk of her career, 40 years in all, was spent as a manager and legal secretary for an immigration law firm Gim & Wong PC. in Chinatown, New York City. She was more like a Paralegal and everyone in Chinatown and even Flushing's Chinatown knew  "Chow-Tai", which means Mrs. Chow.

Growing up in Chinatown, Loretta lived in an apartment with her parents and 3 siblings until marriage. Her grandparents and many uncles, aunts and cousins also lived in the same building, which created a haven for a happy and close-knit family. Loretta loved Chinatown so much that she chose to remain there for her entire life.

Loretta met the love of her life Joseph Chow “Joe” at a social gathering in Chinatown. It did not take long for mutual love to grow followed soon after by a desire for marriage. They exchanged their wedding promises to each other before God, family and friends on Saturday, June 2, 1956 at the True Light Lutheran Church in Chinatown, NYC, where Loretta had always been a member. Following the wedding ceremony and reception, they honeymooned in sunny Miami Beach, Florida, staying at the beautiful Versailles Hotel and enjoying a romantic week together frolicking on the beach, water-skiing and taking moonlight strolls. Sadly, Joe passed away in 2005, leaving Loretta precious memories of a playful, fun-loving, devoted, sometimes sweet and silly, marriage of 49 years in which they would admit to a few small arguments, but mostly because Joe was a rebel and Loretta was a goodie-two-shoes.

Although her children were born in America like her, she instilled in them the importance of understanding and appreciating their Chinese heritage, by attending Chinese school and celebrating the Lunar New Year, among other traditions.

Loretta was the Matriarch of her family and spending quality time with them and her friends was really important to her. She loved traveling with them to new destinations both near and afar. Cruises were a favorite of hers, where she visited places like the Caribbean Islands, Saint Martin, the U.K, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, and Mexico. On-land trips included China, Singapore, and numerous U.S. States and she equally enjoyed more local destinations like escaping the hustle and bustle of the city by spending summers as a child with her parents and siblings in a rented summer home at the Jersey Shore in Bradley Beach. These Jersey Shore vacations became a life-long tradition and when Loretta’s daughter Caryn was born, Loretta’s parents decided to purchase their own Bradley Beach summer home in celebration of the birth of their first grandchild.

Loretta enjoyed so many of the wonderful things that life had to offer. She loved playing Mah-Jong with her friends and would even sometimes play with her children, if they begged her to. She took regular trips to the casinos where playing the slots was her game of choice. She always looked forward to a good massage, hanging out with her siblings and listening to the music of Frank Sinatra in her younger years and later, Freddy Mercury and Queen. Many quiet summer evenings were spent at home watching her beloved New York Yankees and, in season, watching figure skating competitions.

Loretta enjoyed cooking and everyone loved her famous lasagna, spaghetti sauce, macaroni salad, and Chinese shrimp cakes, as well as everyone’s favorite - her “Mah-Jong” jello tray.  Loretta was also extremely talented at arts and crafts and bestowed upon many, ribbon origami and a good luck ball, which she hand-made from dollar bills or Chinese red envelopes.  She even held classes to teach family and friends, how to make them!

Loretta’s heart overflowed with gratitude for the abundance of blessings in her life. This feeling of blessing inspired her to give back to bless others, contributing to charities like the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and donating to the Chinatown Las Vegas Reunions, where she would also make her ribbon origami.

Loretta loved living life to its fullest with her family by her side. Her generosity, humor, wit, and fun-loving nature shined through in spades. On one hand Loretta was a strong, independent and tough woman, yet she equally displayed so much empathy, always rooting for the underdog.  Her maternal instincts led her to embrace her children’s friends like her own, with many of those friends warmly calling Loretta “Mom”.

There are so many words that could be used to describe what Loretta was like - fun loving, witty, sociable, outgoing, smart and proud, independent, loud and strong, yet sensitive, dependable, easygoing, selfless, caring, and generous. She touched the hearts of so many, and was truly loved by everyone. There could never be another like Loretta, and she will be dearly missed by her adoring family and friends and will always hold a forever place in their hearts.

Loretta was the beloved wife of Joseph “Joe”, blessed in marriage for 49 years until his passing in 2005. She was the most loving mother of Caryn Chow of New York City, Russell Chow and his wife Roberta of Brooklyn, NY, and Sheryl Chin and her husband Thomas of Wayne, NJ; cherished grandmother of: Brandon Chow and his wife Cici Cao, and Victoria Chow; dear sister of the late Frederick Lee (2019) and his wife Kay, Gloria Yee and her husband John, and Donald Lee and his wife Shirley; and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.  

At Loretta’s family’s request, please visit https://everloved.com/life-of/loretta-chow/memories/ to leave a condolence or make a contribution in Loretta’s memory to her church - True Light Lutheran Church.

Gary G. Straub, age 80, formerly of Paramus and Teaneck, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Born in Englewood on March 25, 1940, Gary was one of four children of the late Frank Matthew Straub and the late Norma Julia Straub (née Harms).  Gary and his siblings were raised in Teaneck, and Gary attended Teaneck High School.

Throughout his life Gary faced various mental and physical challenges, but he never felt limited by them.  He told jokes, had opinions, was blessed with a joyous smile and adored his mother, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. Gary was a true blessing to his entire family and will be sincerely missed.                      

When Gary was diagnosed with severe epilepsy as a child in 1947, there weren’t many treatment options available and his doctors suggested that institutionalizing Gary would be the easiest path forward for his family.  His mother Norma absolutely refused, and she spent her life as Gary’s greatest advocate and a model of unconditional love and uncompromising determination.  Instead of focusing on the things Gary couldn’t do, he and his family embraced and enjoyed the many things he could do.  

One of those things was getting into mischief!  As kids, Gary was much bigger than his younger brother Ray and was always beating up on Ray and playing tricks on him. One time Gary meticulously set five mouse traps outside the bathroom door, then poured a bucket of ice cold water on Ray (who was in the bathtub) and sprinted away. Naturally, Ray jumped out of the tub and ran after Gary, only to step on and spring the mouse traps while in pursuit.

Because his family lived on a cul-de-sac, Gary and his siblings were allowed to move the cars in and out of the driveway….until Gary ran one of the cars off an embankment and into the muddy banks of the stream across the street (which was a real problem because his brother Ray had to be at church at 7:30 the next morning for his Confirmation).  His brothers and the other Glenwood Park kids banded together, working all night to get the car safely back into the driveway, which they eventually did.  Ray made it to his Confirmation, but that was the last time Gary got to drive the car!

In his teen years, Gary loved to go to the monthly church sponsored dances with his girlfriend. He always carried a picture of her, and his mom was glad to drop him off and pick him up after each dance.  His mother and siblings weren’t so thrilled with Gary’s brief experimentation with trumpet lessons though — he was encouraged to practice outside and at least 50 feet away from home.  His brothers were kind enough to set up a milk carton seat near the infamous muddy stream.  

Gary also developed a joy of reading and learning during his teen years that lasted well into adulthood. He especially loved history and reading about Native Americans. He also loved looking up information in The Book of Knowledge – a monthly publication that he subscribed to. It’s amazing what Gary learned from his reading and absolutely incredible that he could recall so much of it later in life.

Gary really enjoyed watching television. He gained a lot of knowledge from his TV time, although Westerns were definitely his favorite  – The Rifleman, Gun Smoke, Bonanza, and Maverick.

When his brother Ray blessed Gary with his first nephew, he was thrilled! Other nieces and nephews followed, and Gary adored them all and doted on each of them as much as he could. He’d even share his television (of which he was extremely protective) to watch their “silly” shows.

As an adult, Gary took great pride in his work at Easter Seals.  He was motivated, focused and content at the end of his workdays, and his family appreciated the independence he experienced and his sense of accomplishment.

More than anything, Gary loved spending time with his family and partaking in all the delicious meals his sister Renee cooked up.  He was quick to joke and loved to laugh; he had a great booming laugh that caused everyone around him to smile and laugh along, whether you were in on the joke or not.  When sitting around the dinner table, surrounded by his family, his face radiated pure joy.

Gary is survived by his loving siblings, brother Raymond Straub and his wife Marilyn of Spring Hill, FL, and sister Irene (Renee) Straub Baxter of Wayne, NJ; and his four adoring nieces and nephews, Raymond Straub, Jr. of Asheville, NC, Timothy Straub of Tampa, FL, Jessie Baxter of New York, NY, and Meghan Baxley of Glen Rock, NJ.  Gary was predeceased by his brother Frank Straub of Paramus, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Gary’s name are asked to consider making a donation to Epilepsy Services of New Jersey

On April 1, 2020, Edward Kent Waldinger passed away at the age of 83.

Ed was born on May 14, 1936 in Garfield, New Jersey to Edward and Lillian (Ruby) Waldinger. Upon graduating from Garfield High School, Ed attended Traffic Management School and Bloomfield College, which led to a 36-year career in the Distribution Management Industry. Ed served in the United States Army, armored division from July 30, 1957 – July 28, 1959. On September 26, 1959, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Jean Marut. They raised three daughters together in their Wayne, New Jersey home. Sadly, after a brave battle against cancer, Dorothy passed away January 27, 2002 at the age of 65.

Ed was a quiet man who preferred evenings at home with his family, listening to music and reading. Weekends were spent meticulously caring for his yard often at the dismay of his children who were reluctant helpers (especially during leaf raking season). Never able to tell his children no to pets, his home was filled with dogs, cats, hamsters, a rabbit, mice and fish. The family’s chubby pooch, Cleo, was the one who stole his heart. Ed’s favorite vacation spot was Long Beach Island and the family spent summer vacations on its beaches. He was known to dress in plaid shorts, a polka dot shirt, white socks and black dress shoes - stating “he was on vacation and could wear whatever he wanted.”

Ed was a dedicated, tireless grandfather - tackling babysitting, feedings and diaper changes like a pro. He could be seen at every dance recital, concert and sporting event his active grandchildren participated in. He was well-known in the towns where his children reside and loved by all who knew him.

In 2017, Ed met the second love of his life, Joan (Pearson) Meyer. Joan and Ed shared over two cherished years together filled with laughter and love. Joan passed away on February 25, 2020 in Wayne, New Jersey.

Ed is survived by his children Lynn Ferrara and her husband, Anthony of Wayne; Tracy Alvarez and her husband, Brian of Pompton Lakes; Leslie Snyder and her husband, Chuck of Bloomingdale; and his grandchildren Mel, Christian, Zachary, Emily, Jenna, Linsey and Olivia. He was predeceased by his granddaughter, Julia.

Arthur “Art” Nils Olsen, age 79, of Pompton Plains, passed Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Arthur was born to Martin and Ethel Olsen in Jersey City, New Jersey.  His family moved to Butler where Arthur graduated from Butler High School with the Class of 1957. As a young man, Arthur loved cars and soon found work in the auto body repair business. He worked for the Pompton Auto Body repair shop while attending technical school where he focused on auto body repair.  In 1966, Art’s father-in-law asked him to join the family business, Wanaque Landscaping & Garden Supply, as he wanted to add lumber to their offerings.  Arthur spearheaded the lumber division and remained there until 2002 when he officially retired. Arthur was very proud to serve in the US Army National Guard for six years before being honorably discharged in 1968.  

Art met the love of his life, Bonnie Carol Storms, after her brother Morgan’s wife, Judy, introduced them at a church baseball game.  Their first date was the very next day when they went waterskiing on Greenwood Lake. They married on August 15, 1964, at the Riverdale Bible Church where they also had their reception.  They honeymooned in New Hampshire at the Shangri-La Motel overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. They have had a loving, devoted, and faith filled marriage of fifty-six years that was blessed with two daughters.

Art and Bonnie enjoyed over 18 years living on Lake Iosco in Bloomingdale, New Jersey with their family.  In 1991, they moved to Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

Art will be remembered for having a faith filled Christian life.  For many years he was a devout member of the Ringwood Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and proudly headed the Mission Board for several years. Art also served as a deacon at the Sparta Evangelical Free Church for a number of years.  Art loved Jesus and was always willing to share about his faith.  Art was a die hard Yankees fan and talked about his love of baseball to anyone that would listen.  He had the grandchildren watching baseball from an early age. Art had a great sense of humor and was even a bit of a prankster which made him a joy to be around.

He was an excellent father and grandfather who truly loved his family. Many will remember his upbeat way, him always humming or singing, and just being an all-around nice person. He was an extremely hard worker who balanced his work life with fishing, golf, boating, gardening, and watching baseball.  Art also loved to go camping. He would plan travel to campgrounds from Maine to Florida and graduated from a pop-up, to a travel-trailer, to a monster fifth wheel mounted home on wheels.

Arthur was the loving husband of Bonnie Carol Olsen; devoted father of Krista Hennessy and her husband Jim of Haskell, New Jersey and devoted father of Heidi Watson and her husband Aaron of Branchville, New Jersey; he was the cherished grandfather of Dylan, Hope, Daniel, Sadie, and Isaac; he was also the beloved brother of Martin Olsen and his wife Elayne of Maine and beloved son-in-law of Gertrude Storms.

Patricia Rohme (nee Jachens) age 73 of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday, March 30, 2020 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Patty was born in Englewood, NJ one of three children to Richard and Marianne Jachens. Patricia’s dad was a US Army Officer so Patty and her family moved around quite a bit.  Throughout her life Patty always gravitated back to Bergen County where her extended family lived.  Patty and her mother,  sister and two brothers followed her father to overseas postings  in Heidelberg Germany, Tokyo, and Seoul, South Korea as well as several US assignments.  During one of those assignments Patty obtained her driver’s license at the age of 14 while her family was living in Kansas. It was a skill she spent a lifetime perfecting.

Her father’s next assignment was in Washington DC and while there, Patty attended Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA, graduating with the class of 1964.  Following her high school graduation, Patty attended Douglass College earning her Bachelor’s Degree in English.  Following graduation, Patty went on to Rutgers University where she earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science.

Shortly after earning her Master’s Degree, Patty joined the Reference Department of the Fairleigh Dickenson University library.  Patty held that position for about three years during the early 1970’s then switched to a more dynamic career in the fledging field of corporate video, starting at the in-house studio at Airwick Industries Inc. in Carlstadt.  Airwick Industries was eventually acquired by Reckitt & Coleman Ltd. and moved to Wayne, NJ.  While at Airwick Patty was promoted several times and her responsibilities expanded to include management of the video studio, an in-house print shop and other communications departments.  After a time, Patty accepted a new position in global marketing with Lucent Technologies which eventually became Alcatel Lucent.  Patty remained in that role until her retirement five years ago.  

In the mid 1980’s, Patty had a dear friend and colleague by the name of Harry Rohme.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on June 4, 1989.  Patty and Harry remained in Wayne for the rest of their lives together.  

After spending her childhood travelling the world with her family, it was no surprise that Patty treasured traveling.  She and Harry took countless vacations, traveling to a variety of places including Paris, Rome, London, Singapore, Tokyo, Athens, and Prague.  Another of Patty’s lifetime pastimes was the theatre.  A regular customer at the TKTS booth in Times Square,  she would hop on a bus at Willowbrook Mall and attend a matinee at the  drop of a hat.

Without a doubt, Patty will be best remembered for her love of people.  Warm, generous and eternally interested in everyone she met, Patty could walk into a room of one hundred strangers and leave two hours later with 20 new friends.  Patty always downplayed her ease with people saying that it was just the effect of her father’s military career.  She would say that when you move to a new community every two years you either learn to make new friends or you won’t have any friends.  But her friends knew better, Patty was a person other people liked and wanted to be around.  She was a profoundly kind, loyal and endearing woman.  Amid all of Patty’s talents and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Patty than spending time with her family.  She and her husband Harry cherished more than thirty years of loving and loyal marriage together.  She was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone who knew her.

Patty is survived by her husband Harry Rohme of Wayne, her son Daniel Rohme and his wife Linda of Fair Lawn, two grandchildren, Mia Rohme, and Natasha Rohme both of Fair Lawn, four brothers Richard Jachens and his wife Maria of Clifton, Craig Jachens and his wife Lisa of Havre Grace, MD, Charles Sebastian Voigt and his wife Dorothy Jo of Kill Devil Hills, NC, Ric Voigt and his wife Jeannie of Alexandria, VA, one sister, Katie Walsh and her husband David of Jericho, VT, and nine nieces and nephews; Adrian Jachens, Tania Jachens, Brian Jachens, Mary Jane Penn, Sarah Voigt, Katie Voigt, Michael Voigt, Ben Walsh, and Meg Walsh.

Joseph L. Dabulis, age 83, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Monday, March 30, 2020.

Joe was born in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania to Joseph and Genevieve Dabulis.  At the age of five he moved from Mount Carmel, PA to 58 Fort Green Place in Brooklyn.  A few years later he moved to 315 Adelphi Street also in Brooklyn, where he spent most of his youth.  He did move again to 57 Grove Street in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, before moving to Queens, where he joined and spent six years in the National Guards.  Joe went to Brooklyn Tech High School and later to St. Peter’s College in Jersey City for two years.  Joe became a resident of Wayne in 1967 where he spent the last 53 years of his life.

Joe started his career as a machinist before becoming a Margin Clerk and then a Broker on Wall Street.  He most recently worked for Charles Schwab in Paramus before retiring in 2002.  

Joe will be remembered as a quiet person who loved music.  He found great comfort and peace in music and was proficient in several instruments including the fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and guitar.  His love of the arts was not limited to music as he also enjoyed the challenge of wood carving.  As a matter of fact, he carved an entire hockey team out of wood.  Each player stood about one-inch-tall and Joe’s attention to detail on each figure was incredible.  He was an avid Rangers fan and spent many hours as an adult playing hockey at Wollman Rink in NYC where he was goaltender.  But, most of all, Joe found love and pride in the accomplishments of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Whether it was birthday parties, holiday celebrations, or a sporting or school event, he always found great joy in spending time with his family and seeing their accomplishments.

Joe was the loving father of Susan Conklin and her husband Philip of West Milford, Dr. Katherine Taylor and her husband Halston of Arlington, MA, and Thomas Dabulis and his wife Nimfa of Towaco; he was the cherished grandfather of Justin Conklin and his wife Kristina, Brett Conklin and his wife Ashley, Todd Conklin, and Kalyn and her husband Patrick Cedrowski, Spencer and Lexie Taylor, Nicholas and Samantha Dabulis and dearly loved great-grandfather of Jacob Conklin, Peyton Conklin, Lucas Conklin and Emilia Cedrowski; much loved brother of Robert Dabulis of Brooklyn, NY, the late Michael Dabulis, and Barbara Hofmann of Eastchester, NY.

Henry (Hank) David Heberling was born on December 19, 1946 in Paterson, NJ, the younger of two sons to Othmar (Otto) and Margaret (Peggy) Heberling (nee Hogan). He spent his entire childhood in Paterson, on Sussex Street, first attending grammar school at St. Boniface, then School No. 9, and finally Central High School. He attended Seton Hall University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a focus in Social Studies and English. He later went on to receive his master’s +30.

It was at Seton Hall that Hank met his future wife, Josephine (Jo) Heberling (nee Carrabba). They were set up by mutual college friends, and from day one, Jo knew that Hank was wonderfully different. In the early years of their courtship, he didn’t own a car and would walk 11 miles from South Paterson to where Jo lived on Rossiter Avenue, a trek that took him across Garrett Mountain. They spent so many dates in the living room of Jo’s home that he bought her parents a second TV set for their bedroom where they scurried away to give the young couple privacy.

On Christmas Eve 1969, he proposed by hiding a ring in Jo’s stocking. Several months later, he was sent to Fort Knox in Kentucky as part of the Army Reserves. Hank and Jo married at The Manor in West Orange, NJ on May 16, 1971, and after a honeymoon in Las Vegas, began their life together in their shared hometown of Paterson.

Hank, along with his wife, was a dedicated public school teacher. He spent the majority of his career at Jefferson Township Middle School as a well-liked social studies teacher. He loved teaching and loved children. Hank was the kind of teacher who dressed up as characters from history, which required a high degree of bravery and silliness to pull off in a classroom full of teenagers. His passion for and knowledge of American history and current affairs earned him the title of Dr. Democracy from his colleagues, which is only fitting for a man who gave everyone he cared for nicknames.

Hank and Jo had two children, a son Michael, born in 1976, and a daughter Katherine, born in 1981. When Jo was pregnant with their second, they moved from Paterson to Wayne, NJ, where their home is today. Hank deeply loved his family and while making his living as a teacher, he more often than not worked a second job to make sure his kids had every advantage in life. And despite all of the extra hours at work, he always had time to goof around with his kids and tease his wife.

While Hank could be serious and more than a little stubborn, he was a resolutely silly man with a quirky sense of humor, decorating his areas of the house–the garage, the basement, and the yard–with family memorabilia, incorporating his love into the landscape of his home. Between this and the way he treated all of the pets in his life over the years–from Jo’s mutt Rusty, to his kids’ childhood dog Luke, and finally his retirement buddy, the pup Gracie–it was obvious to all just how much of a softie he was.

While Hank retired from the public school system early at the age of 55, he never stopped teaching. He spent nearly two decades tutoring at Saint Clare’s Health in Boonton, NJ. He admired the Saint Clare’s community and only stopped teaching months before his passing. Hank was also a religious man, a devout Catholic, and a congregant of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne. In recent years, he worshiped at home, watching daily masses on television.

Hank passed away on March 30, 2020 from complications from diabetes. Hank is survived by his wife of 48 years Josephine Heberling, his son Michael Heberling, his daughter Katherine Heberling and his son-in-law Jason Young, his mother-in-law Rose Carrabba, and may other family members. His twinkling blue eyes, wry smile, and sense of humor will be missed by many.

Donations may be made in Hank’s memory to Sansum Diabetes Research Institute: www.sansum.org/ways-to-give/.

Jerry G. Conforti, age 88, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

Jerry was born and raised in Newark, NJ, the second of Gennaro and Virginia Conforti’s five children. Jerry was attending Central High School in Newark when, in the fall of 1947, he enlisted in the U.S. and New Jersey National Guard. His military aspirations continued in February, 1952 when he enlisted in the United States Air Force. Unfortunately, soon after, a physical impairment was discovered, and so an anticipated four year commitment was cut short in the fall of 1952. Following his service to his country, Jerry’s admiration for the military and deep pride in America never stopped and later, he became involved with the American Legion Organization in Totowa.  

Jerry returned home from service and immediately started his own gas station business in his hometown of Newark. From there, he went into his own trucking business. For many years he drove his tractor trailer over the road on long distance hauls, for Consolidated Freightways until the company went out of business in 2002. Not ready to retire yet, he drove for a short time for Solomone Brothers of Wayne until some health issues called for retirement in 2004.

Jerry found true love with his first wife Yolanda. Together, they were blessed with four children – two daughters and two sons and they lived as one happy family in Nutley. Jerry found love again, this time to Jacqueline Breen. They married on Tuesday, December 10, 1985 and were presently enjoying their thirty-fifth year in a loving and devoted marriage, residing these many years in Wayne.

Jerry was a long-time faithful member of the Oakland Elks Lodge 2167. Promoting the tenants of brotherly love, charity, justice, and fidelity, the Elks lodge was always such an enjoyable part of Jerry’s life. He loved coming out on Friday nights to play cards with the guys and he was always willing to help out with the annual charity fundraisers in support of Camp Moore in Haskell and the Christmas in July celebration for the handicapped children.

At home, Jerry loved passing a Sunday afternoon watching his beloved New York Giants play football on television. When the weather turned warmer, Jerry turned his sites toward the beach. He and Jackie loved to head down the Jersey shore to Wildwood every year with his two sisters Virginia and Tessy and once, he and Jackie took a vacation to Disney World.  

Jerry was the beloved husband of Jacqueline (nee Breen), blessed in marriage for over 34 years. He was the loving father of: Carmine Conforti of Belleville, Linda Tobin of Clifton, Patricia Adamek of Moonachie, and Jerry and wife Myia Conforti of Bloomfield; loving step-father of: the late James Fierro (2015) and his wife Olga of Montville, and William Fiero of Ramsey; cherished grandfather of: Courtney, Ashley, John, Jessica, and Amanda, and cherished step-grandfather of: Jasmine, Jennifer, and James; adoring great-grandfather of Derek and Adriana; and dear brother of Virginia DeRogatis of Barnegat, Mario Conforti of Roselle, Tessy Grapenthin of Pennington, Perry Conforti of Toms River, and the late Carmine Conforti.

Frank Colazzo, age 91, of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Sunday, March 29, 2020 surrounded by his loving family.

He was born at home on Jersey Street in Paterson to Crifone and Concetta Colazzo. Frank graduated from Central High School in Paterson with the Class of 1945 and was soon drafted into the US Army during the Korean War. Frank served from 1950 through 1952 and spent much of his time in Germany before being honorably discharged. After his service Frank found employment with Kearfott Guidance and Navigation in Little Falls where he worked for thirty-eight years before retiring in 1990.

Frank will be lovingly remembered as a man who was deeply devoted to his family and supported his children and grandchildren in all of their endeavors.  One the fondest memories is when his daughter’s kite got stuck on the roof of the Swan Motel in Wildwood Crest, NJ and he climbed onto the roof of the motel to get it down. He always made time to attend all of his grandchildren’s school functions and extracurricular activities. He loved to hunt which was something that began with his own father and continued on with his son and grandsons. His other passion was cars. He could frequently be found slithering under a car and having his children hand him tools or just his tinkering about the house as he could fix just about anything.

Frank met the love of his life Pauline Gualtieri as she and her mother were renting the downstairs level of the Colazzo’s two family home on Main Street in Paterson.  Frank and Pauline married on July 2, 1961 at Saint Anthony’s Church in Paterson and honeymooned on a road trip to California.  Frank had recently purchased a 1960 T-Bird but didn’t want to put the miles on his new car so they took his ’56 Mercury which broke down in the middle of the desert. Frank fixed the car and they continued on their way.  Frank always had an eye for vintage cars and kept that 1960 T-Bird in the driveway even when its useful life was over. His son Frank knew how much his dad loved that car and many years later had it restored to its original silver-gray showroom condition. He would drive that T-Bird in many Wayne parades. In 1964 Frank and Pauline had a house built in Wayne where they raised their two children and spent their retirement years. They were just about as inseparable as a couple could be.

Frank was the loving husband of almost 59 years to Pauline; he was the devoted father of Frank C. Colazzo and his wife Rosemary of Wayne and Constance P. Millahn and her husband Charles of Wantage;  he was the cherished grandfather of Nicholas Colazzo, James Colazzo, Daniel Colazzo, Scott Millahn, and Lauren Scott and her husband Patrick.

Louisa B. Matteo, age 92, of Wayne and formerly of Long Island passed away peacefully on Saturday March 28, 2020 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Louisa was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, and was one of nine children to Vitelio and Maruja Sanchez. Growing up in Colombia, she received her formal education and after graduating high school, went to work for a family owned bakery where she worked for about ten to twelve years. Louisa, in search of a better life and the American dream, immigrated to the United States in her early thirties.  Her sister Olga sponsored her to come to the US and after arriving, settled in Jamaica, Queens, with her sister.

Louisa found employment quickly and accepted a position at a catering business called The Brass Rail. While working at The Brass Rail, she caught the eye of one of her fellow co-workers, a young, handsome man named Charles Matteo. The two hit it off great and started dating. As fate would have it, they fell in love and were married on June 26, 1966. The couple settled in Queens and remained there for nearly the next fifty years. They called Queens their home for the rest of their lives together and raised their two sons, Brian and John.

After getting married, Louisa stopped working and devoted herself to being a full-time homemaker. This is truly what Louisa was meant to do and where she flourished. Louisa’s true passion was for her family, nothing in the world meant more to Louisa than providing for, taking care of, and spending time with her family. Louisa was a genuinely selfless person who always thought of others before herself. She was a truly devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was kind and compassionate, never having a bad word to say about anyone. Louisa and Charles cherished nearly fifty years of loving and loyal marriage until Charles’ passing in 2015.

After Charles’ passing, Louisa moved to Wayne, New Jersey to be closer and among her family. Louisa was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people, and who will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Louisa is survived by her son John Matteo and his wife Anita of Wayne, her son Brian Matteo, and his wife Kim of Medford, Long Island, seven grandchildren, Brooklyn Matteo of Astoria, Queens, Giovanni Matteo, of Delray Beach, FL, Christopher Matteo, of Medford, Long Island, Nicholas Matteo, of Medford, Long Island, Gabriella Matteo, of Wayne, New Jersey, Alexa Matteo, of Medford, Long Island, and Gianna Matteo, of Wayne, New Jersey, two sisters, Emma Diaz and Teresa Copete, three brothers, Orlando Sanchez, Gilberto Sanchez, and Alfonzo Sanchez. She was predeceased by her three siblings, Olga Sanchez, Hilda Sanchez, and Amin Sanchez.

Celine Mihal of Wayne passed away peacefully on Friday, March 27, 2020, after a brave and long battle with Alzheimer's.

Celine leaves behind a large and loving family of three children, six beloved grandchildren, a niece, nephews, and cousins. Loving family members are her daughter Patricia (Kiki) Graham and her husband James of Wayne and their children Eric, Shane, and Paige, son Daniel Mihal and his wife Marcy and their children John and Kate of Cape May Court House, son David Mihal of Toms River, and his former wife Terri Osbun of Butler and their daughter Kristi Mihal.

She is survived by her dear and devoted sister-in-law Ruth Varney and her husband David of Blairstown; her nephews Richard Puzio of Florida, Michael Puzio and his wife Beverly of Gilbert, Arizona, and their children Christopher and his wife Kayuna of Tokyo, Japan, and Sharon and her husband Bret Herndon and their son Michael in Arizona, Donald Puzio and his wife Maxine of Toms River; and her niece Susan Clark and her husband Dennis of Naples, Florida.

Born in Czartosy, Poland, Celine immigrated to the United States with her parents John and Helen Czartosiewski and sister Aline. The family settled in Palisades Park, NJ, and Celine was a graduate of Leonia High School.

Celine was a lively, energetic woman who loved to dance and spent her Saturdays with her sister and friends at the Polish People's Home in Passaic where she met her future husband Edward. Married on September 27, 1953, Edward introduced Celine's sister Aline to his best friend Leo Puzio and the two eventually married. The sisters had a close bond. On Sundays, they would frequently gather with their families and friends at Celine's home and cook dinners for some 15 people.

Celine and Edward eventually settled in Wayne where they raised their two sons, David and Daniel, and daughter Patricia better known as Kiki. Her children fondly remember summers at Cape May Point where they enjoyed the best childhood ever with their cousins at the beach with Mom and "Ciocie" (Aunt Aline), and with "Voj" (Uncle Leo) and their Dad visiting on weekends. Celine especially loved sunny days at the beach. She'd be smothered with baby oil and would walk along the shore collecting sea shells.

To this day, the children talk fondly of their happy memories of the shore and family outings to visit many state forests and parks, museums and historic places.

As founding members of Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church, Celine and Edward attended Mass at Wayne Valley High School before the parish church was built. Together they owned Belmont Beverage in Garfield for many years. Celine was predeceased by her husband Edward and her sister Aline Puzio and brother-in-law Leo.

Celine had a passion for gardening that was evidenced by her green thumb. She hated to be indoors, so in her retirement, she would spend her days tending to her beautiful flowers and shrubs. People passing her home would admire the yard and she proudly would give them a tour, usually sending them off with a plant she had just dug up for them. She loved coffee and was rarely seen without a mug in her hand. When visitors entered her home, the first thing Celine would ask is, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Later in life, Celine's joy was her grandchildren who called her Bobby, and she was never too busy to babysit or play with them. She shared her love of gardening with them and made sure they had their small rakes and shovels. Smiling, she would play the "game" of let's rake the leaves, and the kids loved it until they realized it was work.

Always an avid reader, Celine was a frequent patron of the Wayne Library. She loved life, the gifts of family and friends, and had a genuine interest and empathy for the people around her.

Even though it hurts to lose Celine, her family is relieved that her battle with Alzheimer's is over and that she's in a better place now. Rest in peace Bobby.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to the Wayne Public Library, Attention D. Vidal, 461 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ, 07470.

Frank Redl, age 57, of West Milford passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 26, 2020 with his family by his side and after a courageous battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  

Frank was raised in Clifton, NJ and was one of three children to Stefan and Laura Redl.  When Frank was a young boy he and his family moved to Wayne.  There he spent his formative years and attended Wayne Hills high School where he graduated with the class of 1980.  Following his high school graduation Frank went to work with his father.  He worked alongside his dad in the family construction business, Redl Construction.  In 1989, Frank and his dad changed the name of their business, now making Frank a partner, it then became S & F Builders.  After becoming a partner, Frank dedicated himself to nurturing and growing the family business that his dad had started.  Frank had an outstanding work ethic and his career with S & F Builders spanned nearly forty years.  

In 1988, the entire universe conspired to help Frank find the “love of his life’  Antonette Del Bagno.  The two of them found love instantly, Frank is quoted saying ‘I’m going to marry that girl."   August 18, 1991 they married at The Presbyterian Church in West Milford, and then honeymooned in Aruba.  Frank and Antonette settled in Wayne after first getting married.  While living in Wayne they welcomed the births of all four of their children.  As their family grew, Frank built his own family home in West Milford in 2002.  Frank and Antonette called West Milford their home for the rest of their lives together.  

Frank was “a man’s man,” his word was his bond as can be shown by the army of life long friends.  Frank’s friendships span from when he was as young as the age of 4 to present.  He was honest, trustworthy, had much integrity and was the kind of guy that would settle a deal with a hand shake.  When Frank was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, his community and friends made an effort to give back to him by coordinating fundraisers to help him and his family.  Frank fought courageously and selflessly for four years against his illness for his wife and children so as he could have more time with them.  He worked tirelessly so as to give his family a better life.  However, no matter how hard and long Frank worked, he always made time for his children, never missing a school activity or sporting event.  He and his family frequented the Jersey Shore yearly, vacationing at Wildwood and Cape May, a place where he eventually wanted to retire.  Apart from all of Frank’s talents and hobbies, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Frank than providing for, and spending time with his family.  

Frank is survived by his Wife Antonette (nee Del Bagno) of West Milford, his son Stefan Redl of West Milford, his two daughters Anjelica Redl and her fiancé Martin Pasek of Ringwood, and Julia Redl of West Milford, and his son Maxamilian Redl of West Milford, his mother Laura Redl of Wayne, one brother David Redl and his wife Melissa and nephew Evan Redl of West Milford, one sister Linda Redl of Wayne, and nieces and nephews of West Milford.  He was predeceased by his father Stefan Redl in 2018.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Frank’s name may be made to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. https://www.lls.org/lymphoma/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/treatment/treatment-for-aggressive-nhl-subtypes/central-nervous-system-cns-lymphoma

Joan Caropreso, age 73 of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

Joan was born in Paterson and raised in Wayne where she had been a lifelong resident. In fact, she was actually still living in the home of her childhood at the time of her passing. She was the oldest of William and Natalina Falato’s three children and was a graduate of Wayne High School with the Class of 1964.

After high school, Joan worked as a legal secretary. She was introduced by her cousin to a young man from Brooklyn, NY named Ugo Caropreso. They married on Saturday, August 21, 1965 at the Holy Cross Church in Wayne and, after honeymooning in New York City, they moved into the same house in Wayne that Joan had lived her whole life.

Over the course of the next few years after marriage, Joan and Ugo were blessed by God with three dear children – Vincent, Kathy and Linda, and Joan settled into the noble and very important role of mother and homemaker.

Joan was the best mom a kid could ever hope to have. She truly loved and adored her children and she poured every ounce of her being into their well-being. When they were little, she’d get right into it, jump-roping, playing jacks, and coloring with them, and she even painted a permanent hopscotch court on the sidewalk on the side of the house so they could play all the time. When her kids got into the school years, Joan served regularly as a class mom, library assistant at Ryerson School and even for a time as PTO president. She was always willing to help in whatever capacity needed and, being an excellent seamstress, she did a lot of sewing for the schools theater productions and baked a lot of cookies for school fundraisers.  

Once her son and daughters gained a bit more independence, Joan returned to school herself, attending the Ridgewood School of Art in pursuit of education in her lifelong passion of graphic arts. Her first position was becoming the art director for Museum Magazine in New York City. She later worked as graphic artist for Doremus Incorporated and Sorg Incorporated in the field of court litigation and got involved in cases involving Enron, Hallmark and Tavern on the Green. In later years Joan freelanced as a graphic artist for several local attorneys, splitting her time between working for them and helping to care for her adored grandchildren.

To Joan, the love and nurture of strong family ties was a cornerstone of life. She cherished family time and her seven grandchildren – Dominic, Joseph, Anthony, Shauna, Patrick, Alexandra, and Anthony brought her so much joy! Joan gladly warmed the seats and bleachers of many-a school to be present for all their activities including school performances, cheering competitions, baseball, bowling, football games, wrestling matches, and band competitions and concerts. Just like she did for her own children, for her grandchildren, she continued volunteering as a library assistant at Wayne’s Ryerson School and she enjoyed sewing them nice clothing and fun Halloween costumes.

In her spare time, Joan enjoyed reading, especially about politics and combining her love of cooking by reading interesting cook books. She loved tending to the beautiful gardens in her yard, listening to the music of favorites including Andrea Bocelli and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and playing games – anything except checkers!

Joan was a life-long parishioner of Holy Cross Church in Wayne. Her faith in God was another one of the cornerstone pillars of her life which so-much guided the way she lived and loved those around her. Like the God she loved and served, Joan was the epitome of unconditional love. With not a mean bone in her body, she was a delight to be around – typically bubbly, funny, smart, and stylish.  

Joan was the loving mother of the late Vincent Caropreso (2017) and wife Maureen of Pompton Plains, Katherine and husband Thomas Siso of Wayne, and Linda and husband Michael Paese of Totowa; cherished grandmother of: Dominic and Joseph Caropreso, and the late Anthony Caropreso (2003), Shauna and Patrick Siso, and Alexandra and Anthony Paese: and dear sister of Katherine Falato and Anne Bieber, both of Wayne.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION:

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Joan’s name would be appreciated to one of the following charitable organizations:

Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad

PO Box 2004

Wayne, NJ 07474

Wayne POL Fire Co. 2

970 Route 23

Wayne, NJ 07470

Regarding COVID-19;

In an effort to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are following the recommendations of our State Government and Health officials, who are currently urging us to limit public gatherings to fewer than fifty people.

Therefore, we will be limiting visitors to include only the most-closely related members of the families we are serving.  For all other friends and acquaintances, please refrain from physically visiting the funeral home.  We recommend that you send a message to the family and express your condolences using the “Guest Book” or “Private Condolence” features here on our website.  These are certainly challenging times, and we ask you to please exercise the highest level of prudence in the days ahead.  Thank you.

LIFE STORY

Dominic Henry Aldi, age 92 of Wayne, passed Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at the Paramus Veterans Home. He was a dearly loved husband, dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa. He loved his family and was loved and admired back. He always appreciated his life and all the blessings God gave to him. This is evidenced by his grandson Dave saying “Grandpa made good us of every moment in life.”  As a matter of fact he loved it when a grandchild was born as he would carry them for long strolls all around the house in his loving arms.

He was born in Southington, Connecticut to Gennaro and Mary Aldi. The family moved to live at a residence on East 18th Street in Paterson where Dominic was raised. He graduated from Eastside High School and enlisted in the US Navy in June of 1945 just at the end of WWII.  When he left civilian life he was working as a color mixer for the Chadwick Screen Printing Company in Paterson. Dominic served aboard the USS Shields and the USS Norris.  He was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the American Theatre Medal, and the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Medal for his service before being honorably discharged in August of 1946. Later in life he mastered the art of flying airplanes and joined the US Coast Guard as a flight instructor when he was in his 70’s.  Dominic had many fond memories of teaching pilots and especially enjoyed trips along the East Coast.  He looked forward to grabbing lunch at distant locations like Boston before flying back home patrolling the skies.

After his service in the Navy he returned to the textile industry in Paterson where he worked as a ribbon dyer.  He was always a hard worker and was determined to become an owner of his own dye house in Paterson.  Dominic retired from the Paterson textile industry as an owner of North Jersey Skein Dye Company in Paterson.

“Our dad celebrated life,” said his daughter Estelle and son Dominic-“his interest and creativity were boundless.”  Dominic was also a perfectionist. Dad didn’t sit by and wait for things to come to him, rather he made things happen. Dad, the painter whose masterpieces resembled Monet’s; dad, the sculpture, after buying clay from Michaels, started with his first project of forming the Pieta! Dad, the captain of his boat, a 56’ Ocean with a flying bridge he named Blue Moon that was berthed in Cape May.  When he would bring this boat in to its slip the neighboring boat owners were often on guard so he didn’t damage their boats as he tried to dock this behemoth.  Dad, the airplane pilot who owned several planes including open cockpit aircraft. Dominic would drop Estelle off at the mall where she loved to shop and he would go out flying for hours. He would do stalls and loop-de-loops with his planes directly over their home in Wayne which was something Estelle wanted no part of.  He would then come home and tell his kids how dangerous that was and that they were never to do such things.  He will be lovingly remembered as a quiet man with a strong personality and a huge soft heart…he truly loved life.  He was creative, a doer, and as the expression goes-never had grass growing under his feet.

In his 70’s he decided that he wanted to play the piano. So that he did.  He bought books, an extended baby-grand piano, and went on-line for instruction. When that wasn’t enough, he registered at William Paterson University for piano instruction. When this eager 74ish young gentleman sat down the young students they thought he was the instructor. No, dad was one of them and very proud to be able to learn. He was an avid photographer who had an artistic eye and a dark room in his basement.  His children were often the subject of his photos but he also freelanced as a photographer and even shot a wedding or two. His mathematical mind was always seeking a challenge, however, he would say he was absent from school when they taught spelling-that always gave his kids a laugh.

Dominic met Estelle when she, along with her full college studies, took on a part-time job to earn a little income.  She was an elevator operator at Quackenbush’s department store in downtown Paterson.  On one particular day, she had a passenger that just wouldn’t get off the elevator; Dominic Aldi.  Dominic was home on leave from the U.S. Navy and he was shopping with some friends at Quackenbush’s.  From the moment he saw Estelle on the elevator, he was smitten.  He just kept riding the elevator, unwilling to get off until she agreed to go out on a date with him.  Eventually she caved in and their first date was set.  Dominic went to her house to pick her up and, much to Dom’s surprise, she took him to church - and not just to Mass, but to confession. Since it was Saturday, it was just the right thing to do. Surely this wasn’t what he had in mind for their first date, but like the gentleman that he is, he was happy to oblige her.  Their wedding followed a year or so later, on March 28, 1948 at St. Anthony’s RC Church in Butler.  After a honeymoon to Niagara Falls, they lived at her parent’s home before settling to their new home they designed together in Wayne in 1951.  They made for an interesting couple, and enjoyed the most wonderful and fortunate marriage that they could have ever hoped for.  Their home was always filled with big band music and their home radiated with the sounds of Benny Goodman and the like. During their early years in Wayne Dominic and Estelle were founding parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church.  They were focused on giving their children the gift of faith and all attended Mass at the Schuyler Colfax Junior High School as the church was being built.  As a matter of fact Dominic would walk the streets in the Jackson Avenue area of Wayne and collect pledges and donations from the local residents. Dominic and Estelle enjoyed sixty-nine years of loving and devoted marriage before her passing on April 27, 2017. They are now reunited together again in God’s loving embrace…but will be missed by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Dominic was the loving husband to the late Estelle Aldi (d.2017); devoted father of  two children; Estelle Meyer of Wayne and her late husband Jake (d.2017), and Dominic of Wayne; cherished grandfather of five grandchildren; David Meyer and his wife Nancy of Wayne, Sherry Ligouri and her husband Jerry of Salt Lake City, Utah, Jessica Rowe and her husband Chris of Wayne, Christine Placko and her husband Bill of Oak Ridge, and Melissa Lyons and her husband Sterling of Sandy, Utah; dearly loved great-grandfather of eleven great-grandchildren; Kayla, Shayna, Heather, Chloe, Sabrina, Daniella, Dominic, Lily, Bryce, Bane and Sage; he was the loved brother of Marion Klepacki of North Haledon.

Regarding COVID-19;

In an effort to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are following the recommendations of our State Government and Health officials, who are currently urging us to limit public gatherings to fewer than fifty people.

Therefore, we will be limiting visitors to include only the most-closely related members of the families we are serving.  For all other friends and acquaintances, please refrain from physically visiting the funeral home.  We recommend that you send a message to the family and express your condolences using the “Guest Book” or “Private Condolence” features here on our website.  These are certainly challenging times, and we ask you to please exercise the highest level of prudence in the days ahead.  Thank you.

Life Story of Frank G. Nicoletti

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Frank G. Nicoletti, age 63, of Wayne, announces Frank’s passing on Monday, March 16, 2020, while holding his wife’s hand.

Frank was born on December 13, 1956 in Paterson, NJ to Frank and Theresa Nicoletti. He was raised in Little Falls and when he was thirteen, the family moved to Totowa Boro. He graduated from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne with the Class of 1974 and went onto Seton Hall University, where he graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business.

Frank’s first job was working as a Sales Associate at Macy’s at the Willowbrook Mall. Shortly thereafter, he worked at Delta Airlines in New York City as a ticket agent, and later was trained as a Craps Croupier at the Playboy Club in Atlantic City. He worked there and then at the Resorts Casino as a Craps Dealer for a few years. Frank settled into a career with State Farm Insurance. He worked with his father in Garfield before becoming an agent himself. While working as a State Farm agent for over twenty years, Frank put all of his girls through private schools, took his family on beautiful vacations, and bought them their first brand new cars.

He will be lovingly remembered as a vivacious, cheerful, and supportive individual. He had a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh. Anyone who knew Frank would say that he was a fantastic storyteller. He loved to take his girls shopping and always enjoyed trips to casinos. Frank also loved the beach, and Stone Harbor was where many fond childhood and adult memories were made. Frank was also a dog lover and had three shih tzu’s - Coco, Piper, and Sheldon - who will miss him dearly. He was surely greeted by his mother, followed by his three dogs who pre-deceased him, Tucker (his shadow), Max, and Buzz.

Frank was the loving husband to Lynn Nicoletti; devoted father of Lauren Nicoletti of Philadelphia, Kristen Nicoletti of Wayne, and Taylor Nicoletti of Wayne; he was the dearly loved son of Frank C. Nicoletti and the late Theresa Nicoletti (d. 2019); he was also the much loved brother of Dawn Cortese, her husband Christopher, and their three sons, Nicholas, Timothy, and Joseph.

Frank and Lynn would have celebrated their twenty-ninth wedding anniversary on March 23rd.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Alzheimers Association would be greatly appreciated.

Regarding COVID-19;

In an effort to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are following the recommendations of our State Government and Health officials, who are currently urging us to limit public gatherings to fewer than fifty people.

Therefore, we will be limiting visitors to include only the most-closely related members of the families we are serving.  For all other friends and acquaintances, please refrain from physically visiting the funeral home.  We recommend that you send a message to the family and express your condolences using the “Guest Book” or “Private Condolence” features here on our website.  These are certainly challenging times, and we ask you to please exercise the highest level of prudence in the days ahead. Thank you.

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that the family of Karey Ann (Nick) Sorrentino, age 43, of Totowa, announces her unexpected passing this past Sunday, March 15, 2020.

Born at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ and raised in Wayne, Karey was the middle child of Kenneth (Mike) and Edna Nick’s nine children – seven daughters and then two sons. She was a graduate of Wayne Hills High School, Class of 1994.

Karey was genuinely a selfless and giving person. She always put other's needs first. She went above and beyond when it came to helping family, friends and even people she barely knew. She loved to help those in need because she was, a good hearted soul.

When Karey was old enough to work, her first job was at a flower cart in Willowbrook Mall and she also dabbled in some amateur modeling through a talent agency. She even worked as an extra in a few movies. Those two jobs for Karey were short lived as she yearned to do a job that was more fulfilling. Little did she know that with her love for animals and with the help of her older sister Brenda, she would land a job working for Dr. Kentner at Wayne Hills Animal Hospital.

Karey started out working the front desk, answering phones and cleaning cages. It didn't matter what she had to do as long as she was helping animals. Over the years, Karey would eventually work her way up to being the office manager and head veterinary technician. As Dr. Kentner would say, Karey ran a tight ship and she was the "rock" of his practice. When clients called and heard Karey's voice, they would feel at ease about the care their beloved pets were getting.

Karey worked at Wayne Hills Animal Hospital for almost 30 years until she passed away. During that time, she helped many clients with their fur babies, always showing care, love and compassion to each and every one of them. She also fostered and rescued many cats and kittens during her career. There wouldn't be a spring season without Karey having a bottle baby or two to care for. Karey had a few of her personal rescue kitties who stole her heart. First and foremost was her beloved Joenus, a handsome, grey domestic longhair, and Peyton (named after Peyton Manning) a grey domestic shorthair with one eye whom she raised from bottle kittens. Then there was Harpo (Harpo Man) a 20 pound grey tabby whose owner was sick with cancer. So in order to help ease her worries, Karey took Harpo home and cared for him as if he were her own. As each of these fellas passed away, they stole a piece of Karey's heart. When Karey passed away, she left behind quite a few rescue cats which included her work mascot, Bogey, at home her Cornish Rexes, Girlfriend, Lucius, Cyrus and many others who will miss their "Mom".

A little more than 18 years ago Karey met the love of her life, Anthony. It just so happened that the two of them shared a common acquaintance who made plans with the both of them separately for the same evening. When this friend stood Anthony up, he called Karey to see if she was with their mutual friend. She said that was not the case, and that she had been stood up too! With that being said, the two of them decided they would not let a good night go to waste and so they went out together instead. They enjoyed a fun evening together at Ozzie’s in Totowa and, as the saying goes, the rest was history. Karey and Anthony exchanged their marital promises to each other on Saturday, April 27, 2002 at the Totowa United Methodist Church and went on to spend a happy marriage living in Totowa ever since.

Like any other couple, it would have been impossible for Karey and Anthony to never have a disagreement, but it could truly be said that they never ever had a fight. They had a wonderful marriage. They truly loved and cared for each other. Knowing that things calmed down every day at the animal hospital around 10:00 AM, Anthony would call Karey at that time, just to say hi. For the two of them, it came down to a simple, yet meaningful saying that they both lived by – “You Me, Me You, Us, The End”.

When she wasn’t saving the animals of the world, Karey could be found spending time with her family and friends. She always loved being with her family. Karey also had a lot of fun assisting Anthony in his coaching duties as a little league and Amateur Baseball Association (ABA) coach. She really grew to love the sport and the players, often referring to them as “my boys”. She kept score and stats in the scorebook, loved to call out the batting order as well as the field positions for the game, and occasionally calmed Anthony down when he got upset about a bad call by the umpire.

Karey had a radiant smile that could brighten anyone's day. She also had a loving disposition towards every person and animal she ever met. She will be greatly missed by everyone who had the honor of knowing her.

Karey was the beloved wife of Anthony Sorrentino, blessed in a most loving marriage for almost eighteen years. She was the dear mother of Stacy Sorrentino of Clifton and Anthony Sorrentino of Totowa; loving daughter of Kenneth L. Nick, Sr. and Edna Nick of Wayne; much-loved sister of: Margaret Nick Henry of Wayne, Brenda and husband Luis Amaya of Tabernacle, NJ, Tammy and husband Mark Miller of Wayne, Paula Van Der Wende of Wayne, Krissy Montana of Wayne, the late Erica Mandeville (2019), the late Kenneth Nick, Jr. (1985), and Michael and wife Jessica Nick of Pompton Lakes; dear daughter-in-law of Anna Sorrentino of Ringwood and the late  Rocco Sorrentino (2019); and dear sister-in-law of Rocco and wife Lori Sorrentino of Washington, NJ, and John and wife Lynn Sorrentino of Bloomingdale. She is also survived by many dear uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins, nieces and nephews. Karey was also predeceased by her paternal grandparents: Clarence J. Nick and Margaret J. Nick; and her maternal grandparents: Warren Congleton, Sr. and Edna Mae Congleton.

As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Karey’s memory to one of the following charitable organizations:

Save the Animals Rescue Team II – (S.T.A.R.T. 2)

PO Box 177

Elmwood Park, NJ 07407

To donate online, click here

Helping Felines in Need

PO Box 2586

Wayne, NJ 07470

Rose Marie Gibbs (nee Bilko), age 85 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Saturday, March 14, 2020 with her family at her bedside.  She has been a resident of Wayne for over fifty years.

Rose Marie was raised in Kingston, PA and after high school, she pursued a career in nursing.  She graduated from Newark Beth Israel’s nursing school in Newark, NJ as a Registered Nurse and began working as a Pediatric Nurse at the Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains.  She eventually became a school nurse in the Paterson Public Schools, serving at School #21 and at the Martin Luther King Elementary School, enjoying a career of more than thirty years.

In the 1950’s, she met Joe Gibbs, Jr. at a wedding.  They hit it off and were soon married on December 28, 1957.  After a honeymoon to Colonial Williamsburg, which included a heavy snow storm, they settled in Wayne.  Throughout the years, Rose Marie and Joe enjoyed many wonderful vacations and cruises, touring Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and many trips with Rotary International.  They celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a trip to Hawaii, and marked sixty-two years of marriage this past December.  Rose Marie  and Joe were blessed with a summer home at Long Beach Island, NJ, where she loved to spend the summers with all of their grandchildren.  Rose Marie took them to the pool at the Haven Beach Yacht Club and they made many good memories at the shore.  Her family will cherish those memories for many years to come.

Rose Marie also loved reading mystery novels by James Patterson as much as a good harlequin romance.  She did the crossword puzzles often.  She was an exceptional baker who made cookies, pies, pumpkin bread, and many other treats, usually giving many of them away as gifts to her friends and family.  Rose Marie was blessed with a green thumb and loved gardening, taking care of her plants, flowers, and landscaping.

Rose Marie is survived by her beloved husband Joseph of Wayne, her daughter, Rosemarie Mastroieni and her husband Mark of Wayne, five grandchildren; Kathleen Horvath and her husband Scott of Windsor, Colorado, Amy Woods and her husband Michael of Kinnelon, Erin Dubow and her husband Justin of Wayne, Dr. Rebecca Mastroieni of Glen Rock, and Mark Mastroieni of Wayne, and five great-grandchildren; Leah Horvath, Ian Horvath, Olivia Dubow, Ryan Dubow, and Alexandra Woods.

Nellie Oliemuller, of Wayne, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2020.  She was ninety-nine years old.

Nellie was born in Rotterdam, Holland on June 15, 1920.  She immigrated to the United States in 1948 with her husband and settled in New Jersey where they became US citizens and built a life with their two children.

Nellie had a beautiful voice and sang in many choirs in her native Holland and continued to sing in the choir for many years as a parishioner at Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ.

Nellie was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband, Robert, her sisters, Yanny and Riet, her brothers, Gerrit and Klass and her favorite son-in-law, Jack.

Nellie is survived by her daughter Patricia Finamore, her son Robert Oliemuller and his wife, Nancy, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Nellie cherished all her family members and friends deeply, both here and in Holland, and was a true friend to all who knew her.

Surrounded by his family and his loving wife of fifty-two years, Sima, Chitta Sikder of Wayne NJ passed away the afternoon of Friday March 13, 2020 at the age of 85 after a courageous fight against Alzheimer’s. For the past few years Chitta fought the disease with dignity and grace, a paradigm of hope and strength and refusing to give up until the very end.

He was the oldest son in his family, a position that makes you responsible for your entire family, something he took very seriously. He worked hard his entire life to support his parents, brothers and sisters. Chitta immigrated to the US while most kids his age were still in high school. Along with his best friend Mike Aditya, they left their native India looking for the American dream. Chitta worked many jobs and learned every aspect of this country. He quickly set up his immediate and extended family for success and helped them pursue their “American Dream”

Chitta took fashion advice from no one. Working in the silk mills of Paterson, he believed he knew what was in fashion and what was not fashionable. You could not tell him things were no longer in fashion. He dressed well and everyone else was a hippie.

Chitta had many loves. He loved to shop for a bargain, he loved to shop at flea markets and he loved a really good sale. However, his true love were his children, Spencer and Marcy, Chitta Jr. and  Robyn, Susie and John and the late Robert McGurr, Arpan and Kristi.

Famously opinionated and short tempered, Chitta successfully handed down these traits to each of his grandchildren, Kapono, Mark and Marissa, Susan and Chris, Cory and Jess, Rachael and Kyle, Ryan, Bobby and Aimee, Josh, Zach, Jack, and Emma, each of whom don’t listen well.  His 4 great grandchildren, Logan, Luke, Ethan and Annabelle seem to have missed this part of the Chitta gene.

Dad you have endured more than most, and we want you to always know that we are so proud of you and grateful to you, for without your hard work and perseverance our lives would not have been successful. His feistiness and stubbornness had served him well throughout his life. Even in his last few months and days he was a model of strong will and sheer determination to his last breath.

Chitta loved parties and social gatherings. He loved to be the host and Dad like you said to everyone:

“THANK YOU TO COME”

Florence T. Gut (nee Serafin), age 86 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.  With her family gathered at her bedside, she opened her eyes one last time and sang “Hail, Hail, the gangs all here” before passing into the hands of her Savior.

Flo was born and raised in Garfield, NJ where she excelled as a student, earning a place in the Garfield Academic Hall of Fame.  In high school, she was a charter member of the National Honor Society, a recipient of the Garfield Women’s Club Scholarship, and a basketball player.  She went on to William Paterson College for undergraduate education, and earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Montclair State College, as well as additional certifications from Rider College, and Jersey City State College.  Flo began teaching in the Garfield school district, and ultimately spent her entire career there, retiring after forty-four years!  She was dedicated to education and loved her career.

In 1948, when Flo was just fifteen years old, she met the irresistibly handsome Bob Gut.  The magic began instantly and their relationship flourished.  Bob became a fixture in Flo’s home, where Flo’s mother seemed to feed him several times per day!  Their romance continued long-distance as the two of them went off to college and they were eventually married on April 17, 1955 at St. Stanislaus RC Church in Garfield.  After a honeymoon to the Pocono’s, they moved to Germany so Bob could complete his military obligation.  Upon their return to the United States a few years later, Flo began her teaching career in Garfield.  Shaping young lives and making a real impact on future generations was her motivation, and she cherished her years in education.

In 1961, Flo and Bob moved to their home in Wayne, where they raised their daughter Karen.  Flo became involved with Our Lady of the Valley Church from the very beginning, is a founding member, and she’s been a devoted parishioner there ever since.  Her faith and love of God was evidenced by how she loved her family and friends.  She enjoyed large family gatherings and having the gang all together whenever possible.  Flo naturally fostered love between everyone and it showed in each relationship she enjoyed.  She has been abundantly blessed by all of their love in return, and Flo leaves this life wrapped in the warm embrace of many.

Flo is survived by her beloved husband Bob of Wayne, by her daughter Karen Giblin and her husband James of Wayne, two grandchildren; James Giblin and his wife Victoria of Colonia, NJ and Kristen Giblin of Wayne, two great-grandchildren; Charlotte and James Edward, and one sister; Joyce Koziel of Saddle Brook, and many loved nieces and nephews.  Flo was especially grateful for the special care and support she had received from her niece Barbara Zackaroff.  Flo was predeceased by three siblings; Veronica “Ronnie” Adamczyk, Rose Powers, and Walter Serafin.

Donations in Flo’s memory would be appreciated to the Roger F. Hetel Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc., 405 Madeline Ave., Garfield, NJ 07026-2411.

Robert Bonnett, age 79, of the Pines Lake section of Wayne, passed Monday, March 9, 2020 with the comfort of family by his side.

He was born in Jersey City to Eugene and Bertha Bonnett.  Bob was raised in Hillsdale, NJ.  He graduated from Pascack Valley High School with the Class of 1958, having played football all four of his high school years. After high school he graduated from the Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tennessee where he ran track.   He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Clemson University in South Carolina, where he also played football, graduating with the Class of 1965. He was number 29 and played fullback during his college years. He would go on to William Paterson University in Wayne where he graduated with a Masters Degree in Education on May 22, 1971.

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Bob met the love of his life, Barbara McCaig, while in high school.  They were married at Saint John the Baptist church in Hillsdale.

Bob worked for the Matawan Board of Education and soon transferred to the West Essex Regional school system where he taught History to middle school students and later taught 9th grade History at the high school.  Bob was always an athlete and shared his knowledge of sports by coaching track, girl’s lacrosse, and football for the West Essex Board of Education. His family remembers how proud he was to have taken the varsity football team to the State Championship game held at Giants Stadium.

He loved sports including football, jogging, competitive long-distance running, as well as playing tennis with groups in the Pines Lake and the Packanack Lake section of Wayne.  In the 80’s he ran out and bought a set of rollerblades which he loved.  Bob enjoyed fishing, sailing, and reading his book under an umbrella at one of the beaches on Pines Lake. Bob and Barbara spent winter months in Fort Myers, Florida where he again played tennis, shuffleboard, and was even elected President of the Bocce Club.  He was very patient and loved that he taught all his grandchildren how to drive. For many years his grandchildren would come to the house the weekend before Christmas. They would visit the Wayne Hills Mall Christmas Show and create crafts as well as gingerbread houses under his watchful eye.

Bob was a loving and devoted husband to Barbara Bonnett; beloved father of Robert Bonnett, Jr. and his wife June of Woodcliff Lake, Susan Rescinio and her husband Michael of Oceanport, and Brian Bonnett and his wife Meredith of Pompton Lakes; he was the cherished grandfather of Danielle and Nicholas Bonnett, Alyssa and Christopher Rescinio, and Caitlyn and Matthew Bonnett; he was the brother of Marie Bonnett and Jeanne Martine.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Gloria A. Hickey (nee Profita), age 93, of Wayne, passed peacefully, with loving family by her side, on Sunday, March 8, 2020.

The youngest of Frank and Lillian Profita’s six children, Gloria grew up in Passaic where she attended Clifton High School, graduating with the Class of 1946. With high school behind her, she set her sights on a career as a teacher and attended college in Newark for two years. Plans changed and Gloria went to work as a comp operator with Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Woodridge and Fairfield.

One night in 1954, while at a New Year’s Eve party, Gloria made the acquaintance of a handsome man named Nicholas J. Hickey – better known as Joe Hickey, who was home on leave from service in the U.S. Navy. That night Joe asked if he could call Gloria in the future, but having to return to Navy duties he didn’t get the chance to call till almost a year later when the next New Year’s Eve party came around. For the party in 1955, Joe was Gloria’s date and he told her that very night that he was going to marry her. As things worked out, Joe was right! They exchanged their wedding promises on a Saturday that Joe described as gorgeously sunny and beautiful. It was October 12, 1957 at the wedding took place at St. Paul’s Church in Clifton.

After a honeymoon to Montreal in Québec, Canada, Gloria and Joe moved into their first house together as husband and wife which happened to be with Gloria’s parents on 130 Clinton Avenue in Clifton. While there, Joe recalled eating a lot of beans and macaroni. They moved several times after that ultimately settling in 1962 in their present home in Wayne.

Gloria became a career homemaker and mother to her and Joe’s one daughter and three sons. She turned out to be the epitome of the most awesome wife, mother, and grandmother anyone could ever be so blessed to have. Loaded with patience, kindness, grace, and unconditional love, Gloria was extremely helpful in inspiring her children in their journey to adulthood.

One of Gloria’s favorite activities, especially as a young women, was hitting the dance floor at one of those posh clubs in New York City in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. She’d typically go with her three cousins, Joe, Mike and Tony and she especially loved the rich jazz sounds of bebop and big band artists like Harry James and Benny Goodman. It was a classy scene and it suited Gloria – a woman who was cool before using the word “cool” was considered cool. In later years, her children would recall their mom always having the radio on in the kitchen, listening to music on WABC.

Gloria’s love of music inspired her to teach herself how to play piano and she loved to relax by tickling the ivorys. It’s no secret to those who knew her well that Gloria took great joy in going shopping and she always seemed to have a sixth sense for a great bargain. She was also an excellent seamstress who started out by sewing ornaments for the Christmas tree and quickly progressed to the point of creating beautiful clothing for herself and her daughter Anne. In later years, as she excitedly anticipated the arrival of those first grandchildren, Gloria switched to knitting beautiful warm and soft Afghans. Over the course of time, she was blessed to make twelve in all – one for each grandchild. She simply adored each of her grandchildren and she had a real knack for entertaining them and helping them to feel so very special. A visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house always meant that you were going to be treated with lots of candy and toys – items that Gloria always had a good stock of on hand. In fact she had a closet full of goodies including lots of crafts that she could share with them for a great learning experience and quality interaction. And while her own kids were never allowed to jump on their perfectly made beds, she never said a word when her grandchildren did it.

In the decade of the 1970’s, Gloria experienced a true spiritual awakening in her life. She and her hubby Joe had always spent time praying together but she also started attending a women’s bible study and listening to various evangelists on the radio. As she searched deeper into the bible, her faith grew more and more and she’d regularly be up early in the morning listening to a radio minister named Robert A. Cook who encouraged Gloria in her relationship with God and ended every radio broadcast with the encouragement to “Walk with the King today and be a blessing!” When the Billy Graham Crusade came to town, Gloria was there and this too was a life-changing experience that drew her closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. This was back in the days of cassette recording and Gloria would regularly record a broadcast to listen to it over and over again. She had lots of these tape recordings! Gloria’s new-found love for God overflowed from her heart and soon she was helping her husband and children to get closer with God too. The whole family started attending Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne and when the only ones left in the house were she and Joe, they started attending St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes. Gloria grew so much through these various experiences. She was always studying her bible, taking notes, writing prayers on prayer cards and praying fervently for family and friends.

Gloria will be missed on so many levels, but her family rests secure with a peace that passes human understanding, knowing that she is in the care of the Lord in heaven and that because of the faith that she shared with them, they will one day see her again.

Gloria was the beloved wife of Joseph; loving mother of: Anne and husband Vince Traglia of Middletown, RI, Joseph P. Hickey and fiancé Tina Belis of Oak Ridge; Michael and wife Alieda Hickey of Fair Lawn, and John and wife Kathy Hickey of Mendham; adored grandmother of Kristen and husband Chris, Ashley, Joe, Jade, Sydney, Sarah and husband Charlie, Nick, Michael, David, Nina, James, and Alana; cherished great-grandmother of Julianne, Michael Kevin, and Brooklyn; dear sister of five siblings – all predeceased: Vincent, Mary, M. Frank, Rose, and Frances.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gloria’s memory would be appreciated to:

Feed the Children

333 N. Meridian

Oklahoma City, OK 73107

Or Click here to donate online

L. Carmen Froude (nee Ouimet), age 87, of Wayne, passed away at her home on Saturday, March 7, 2020, while in the loving and caring support of her family.

Carmen was born and raised until the age of ten in Massena, NY, a town just south of the border between the United States and Canada. Because of this close proximity to her Canadian neighbors to the north, Carmen grew up speaking French as her primary language. In 1942, her family moved to Hoboken, NJ, a place where much was being done to support the efforts of World War II by so many of U.S. Citizenry, and this was something near to her family’s hearts.

After graduating from St. Michael’s High School in Union City, Carmen continued her education at the Jersey City Medical Center School of Nursing. She studied for several years to become a licensed Registered Nurse. Her first job was caringly offering her skills as a labor and delivery nurse with the Margaret Hague Medical Center as part of the Jersey City Medical Center. Carmen held this position for several years, ultimately stepping away to focus on raising her five children, but she always kept close ties with the medical center by serving as the secretary and treasurer for the nursing school’s alumni association for over thirty years.

Carmen had the good fortune of meeting her husband Edmund Froude through one of her classmates in nursing school who happened to be married to Ed’s brother. Their first date was set up by that classmate and it took place at a dinner dance in commemoration of the Jersey City Medical Center’s fiftieth anniversary. As Ed explained, “we danced a lot that night!” They ended up dating for about a year at which time Carmen decided it was time for marriage. After a trip with a family heirloom diamond to a local Jersey City jeweler to have the diamond set in a ring, Carmen and Ed set a date and exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends on Saturday, June 27, 1959 at Carmen’s home parish – St. Peter and Paul R.C. Church in Jersey City. They celebrated with a reception at a Journal Square hotel before setting off for a honeymoon to Bermuda.

Carmen and Ed’s first home together was in a house on Virginia Avenue in Jersey City. They stayed there for a short time before purchasing a brand new home in a recent development of the then-sleepy town called Wayne. Carmen and Ed were blessed with five beautiful children and, while they were growing up, Carmen poured herself into their care and nurture. She volunteered at their schools by serving wherever needed including as a member of the PTA and even for a time as the president. Once her children were old enough, she returned to the workplace at nearby State Farm Insurance Company in Wayne where she was everyone’s favorite nurse until choosing to retire in 1994 so that she and Ed could spend more time together.

Thanks to her warm, energetic spirit and a constant willingness to serve others, Carmen enjoyed a large circle of friends. From the moment she and Ed put down roots in Wayne, Carmen got involved as a parishioner at Our Lady of the Valley Church. She was involved in various ministries and activities of the church including organizing the annual blood drive and serving as a Eucharistic Minister. In her spare time she also volunteered to teach classes to Licensed Practical Nurses and when her children were young, she would take them to summer camp and serve as the camp nurse at Bear Mountain through the Hackensack YMCA.

If shopping could be considered a profession, Carmen would have made the all-star team every year. She had a keen sense for a bargain and she was shopping at outlets before it was the popular thing to do. Her philosophy always was, “When in doubt, buy two.” She also loved to travel. As a young woman before meeting Ed, she had visited France and even Cuba. She and Ed enjoyed trips to Ireland, Spain, and Italy and four times a year, they would trek north to Canada to visit some or all of her 56 first cousins. One activity that she frequently enjoyed was sampling the fine local wines from wherever her journeys would take her. When her grandchildren were available, Carmen and Ed loved to have them join them on their traveling adventures. Since they especially loved their experience in Ireland, they chose to go again, sharing the trip with their grandchildren. They were also welcomed to join Grandma and Grandpa on vacations to Ocean City Maryland and to Cape Cod Massachusetts. Wherever they went, Carmen was so proud of her grandkids always describing them as “beautiful and bright!”

Carmen enjoyed time in the kitchen creating various culinary delights. She especially loved having her family gathered for holidays and family celebrations. In fact, anyone was always welcome in Carmen’s home and, given her generous spirit, it was not unusual to her family that Carmen would frequently invite random guests for a holiday dinner.

While she was small in stature, Carmen was large-and-in-charge in terms of personality and presence. And while her family acknowledges the sadness they feel, Carmen would have wanted her funeral services to be more of a celebration of her life. Therefore, in that spirit, family and friends should not feel that they must come dressed in black. Rather, in recognition of Carmen’s colorful life, feel free to wear whatever colors you desire.

Carmen was the beloved wife of Edmund, blessed in marriage for 60 years. She was the most loving mother of: Aimee Zschack and husband Mark of Franklin, Edmund Froude and wife Susan of Blairstown, Roger Froude of Malta, NY, Keith Froude and wife Lisa of Oxford, PA, and Suzanne Froude of Wayne: cherished grandmother of: Jessica MacLeod and husband Sean of Vernon, William Zschack and wife Amy of Newton, Edmund Froude and wife Lauren of Hamburg, Keith Froude of Oxford, PA, Julia Cordaro of Wayne, and Christopher Cordaro of Wayne; cherished step-grandmother of Amanda Clohessey and Andrew Clohessey; adoring great-grandmother of: Maggie MacLeod and Charlie Zschack; dear sister of the late Gaetan Ouimet and his late wife Carole Ouimet; dear sister-in-law of: Muriel Murphy and her late husband Arthur of Shrewsbury, and the late Donald Froude.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Carmen’s name are asked to consider: National Processing Center, Alzheimer’s Association, Greater NJ Chapter, P.O. Box 96011 Washington DC 20090 or online at www.alz.org.

Evelyn Higgins, age 88, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on March 7th, 2020.

The oldest of Anna and Charles Renn's 3 children.  Evelyn was born on July 30th, 1931.  She spent her childhood in Carlstadt, NJ where she attended East Rutherford High School.  After high school, Evelyn went to work at S.B. Penick in Lyndhurst, NJ where she met her future father-in-law, Allen Higgins Sr.  Allen Sr introduced Evelyn and Allen Jr and they were married a few years later.  Evelyn was employed at Beth Israel Hospital in Passaic, NJ for over twenty-five years as a Switchboard Operator.  In 1965, Evelyn and Allen built a home in the Pines Lake section of Wayne, NJ where they raised their four children.

Evelyn played the piano and organ for over eighty years. She taught her children and grandchildren how to play the piano. Evelyn was always very involved in her church, Calvary Temple of Wayne, NJ where she continued to be the church organist up until late 2019.

Evelyn was predeceased by her first born, Allen Higgins III in 2014.  She was the loving and faithful wife of Allen Higgins, Jr. and the loving mother of 4 children:  Allen Higgins III; Cheryl Zarillo-O'Connor and her husband Michael of Estero, FL; Bryan Higgins Sr and his wife Awilda of Byram Township; Dawn Young and her husband Christopher of Wayne. Dear Grandmother of Allen Higgins IV, Bryan Higgins Jr, Michael Zarillo, Kaitlin Carroll, Matthew Zarillo, Tanner Melendez, Troy Melendez and Trevor Melendez. Proud Great-Grandmother of Bryan Higgins III, Avery Higgins and Olivia Carroll. Dear Sister of Ruth Conroy (pre-deceased) and Arlene Gerard, and beloved aunt of many nieces and nephews.

The family asks in lieu of flowers that a donation be made to the Go Fund Me page for Avery Higgins, 5 month old great-grandaughter of Evelyn who has recently been diagnosed with the rare pediatric liver disease Biliary Atresia.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rxzth-help-baby-avery

John Kooreman, age 93, of Wayne passed Thursday, March 5, 2020. John will be lovingly remembered as a selfless, caring, quiet man who was dedicated to both his family and community.

He was born in the family home at 254 North 12th Street in Prospect Park to Frederick and Josie Kooreman.  He graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1944. Just out of high school John got a job as a draftsman with the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company in Paterson where he worked his entire career before retiring in 1988 as a switchman.

John and Beverly met at the NJ Bell Telephone Company, and it was love at first sight for him. John was engaged to be married when he first set eyes on Beverly, but he knew she was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They courted for three years, and the night John made plans to ask Beverly for her hand in marriage turned out to be the Blizzard of 1947.  John and Beverly took a walk in the storm and wandered into the Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson.  It was in the cemetery, during the blizzard and in front of the tomb of Vice President Garret Hobart that John proposed marriage to Beverly. Coincidently, Garret Hobart was a founding member of the Preakness Volunteer Fire Company #4 in Wayne where John would join about ten years after their engagement.  John and Beverly married on June 19, 1948 at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Paterson.  They honeymooned in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and their marriage was blessed with three children: Kathy, Kenneth and Scott.  For many years John and Beverly enjoyed traveling across the country and into Canada and Mexico with their pop-up trailer which they upgraded later to a Holiday Rambler travel trailer. A favorite destination was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Beverly said were it not for her children she would move there in an instant.  John and Beverly’s children recall how they were inseparable during the later years of their marriage. They had almost 62 years of a “terrific”  loving marriage together before Beverly’s passing on February 26, 2010.

John has served as a New Jersey Fireman for over seventy five years. When he graduated from high school most of the local boys of age were going into the military to fight in WWII.  John was not able to serve in the military for medical reasons and was asked by some high school friends to join the Hawthorne Fire Department.  At the time they lowered the age from 21 to 18 because so many men were at war, and they needed firemen.  They were called “wartime firemen.” So when he was just eighteen years old John went for a visit to the firehouse and was bitten by the fireman bug.  He was with Hawthorne Fire Company #4 from 1944 through 1952. When John and Beverly married they first lived with Beverly’s parents for a few years, then moved to the Wortendyke section of Midland Park (which had so many Hollanders it was like being in the Netherlands). After a short time the young couple moved again to Barbour Street in Haledon.  John joined the Haledon Fire Company #2, and upon moving to Wayne he joined the Preakness Volunteer Fire Company #4 in 1959. John served as Chief of Company #4 from 1968 through 1969. He was appointed as Fire Commissioner for Wayne Township from 1969 through 1970 and again from 1979 through 1980. He is one of only two firemen in Wayne Township to ever serve as Fire Commissioner twice.  For thirty years John served as President of the Passaic County Fireman’s Association which is comprised of sixteen fire companies in Passaic County.  He was very proud of being awarded Fireman of the Year by the Wayne Elks Lodge in 1998.

Another of John’s favorite pastimes was fishing.  He was strictly a stream fisherman, nothing fancy but opening day was a sacred holiday.  His daughter’s wedding day in 1972 was moved ahead a week as the original chosen date interfered with opening day.  John was an avid bowler for most of his life, and played in many leagues over the years.  He experienced every bowler’s dream of a perfect 300 game at Hawthorne Lanes sometime in the 80s.

He was also a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Wayne Elks Lodge #2181 since 1959.

John was the loving husband of sixty-two years to the late Beverly E. Kooreman (d. 2010); devoted father of Kathy Ferrara of Wayne, Kenneth Kooreman of Warwick, and Scott Kooreman and his wife Betty of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Jennifer Ferrara, Amy Sherwood (Scot), Jason Kooreman (Amber), Jonathan Ferrara, and Kimberly Kooreman (fiancé Adam Smith); loving and devoted great-grandfather of Tyler Lopresti, Alexis Lopresti, Karen and Bethany Kooreman, Freddy Sherwood and Steele Sherwood.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Judes Children's Research Hospital, Memphis Tennessee would be greatly appreciated.

Grace M. Glowacki, age 89, of Wayne and formerly of Wallington, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

Grace was born and raised in Warsaw Poland. Because of the German occupation of her homeland during World War II, she witnessed more hardship than any person should ever have to. In fact at one point during the war, her whole family was loaded onto a train for transport to the concentration camps. Fortunately, Grace’s father was a well-known rally race car driver who, when recognized by one of the German soldiers on the train, that soldier secretly allowed him and his entire family, including Grace to escape. They took refuge in a barn surviving on a diet consisting of only potatoes, and they remained there in hiding until Poland was liberated.

As a young woman, after the war, while employed by the Polish Consulate, Grace was given an opportunity to immigrate to the United States. She came to the U.S. and started as a nanny. She also received a wonderful opportunity to attend Columbia University in New York City to learn English. Meanwhile she met Aloysius Glowacki through a friend and they married in 1960. After marriage, Grace and her husband moved to Wallington and started their family. Grace poured most of her loving time and energy into raising her three children, George, Theresa and Vivian. Eventually she returned to the workplace, first as a secretary at the YWCA in Passaic, then in sales and promotions with Wise Potato Chips while concurrently selling Mary Kay Beauty Products. Then, in 1984, Grace started a much loved career as a Language Specialist translating Polish to English for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While most of her work was based in New York City, her job with the FBI took her all over the U.S.A. and abroad. She was very secretive about her work and when asked where she was going, she would never tell. Consequently, her grandchildren Jacob and Jeremy would often good-naturedly referred to Grace as their “secret agent grandmother.”  Grace’s career with the FBI spanned 27 years when she retired in 2011 at the age of 80!

Grace was a high-energy person with a real zest for life. She loved the New York City hustle and even talked about moving from her home in Wallington to go live there, even in her late seventies. She was a true believer in the benefits of exercise and was a regular at the gym in Chelsea Piers both before and after work. She loved taking spa vacations to the Caribbean and, when her children were younger, she’d often take them down the Jersey Shore in Long Branch.

Grace’s taste in music was eclectic, enjoying the swooning sounds of Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli but also the reggae sounds of Bob Marley. She loved to cook and she drew inspiration from watching famous chef Emeril Lagasse, even going to his show one time to see him live in person. As much as she loved being in the kitchen, she would often rave about her son-in-law Paul’s grilled salmon, describing it as something “to die for.” When Grace just wanted to get some fresh air, you could often find her working in the yard at her house in Wallington, tending to her fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers, especially her magnificent sunflowers.

Grace was always so very proud of her two grandsons, Jacob and Jeremy and they loved the fact that their dear “GG” enjoyed attending all of their school musicals, concerts, and scouting events.

Grace had a true love for life. She always did her best to make things work living for the day, making few plans but always having high hopes. An eternal optimist, she would always say with a big smile on her face, “I believe in miracles!”  

Grace was the loving mother of the late George Glowaski (1990), Theresa Glowacki of Edgewater, FL, and Vivian and husband Paul Suszczynski of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Jacob and Jeremy Suszczynski; and dear sister of the late Bohdan Mazurek (2014).

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Grace’s name are asked to consider Saint Joseph’s School for the Blind, 761 Summit Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07307, or to donate online, click here.

David Andrew Saper, age 46, of Wayne passed away suddenly on Monday, March 2, 2020.

David was born in Brooklyn, New York to Michele and Alvin Saper. David and his family moved to Fair Lawn, New Jersey when David was one year old.

David spent his formative years in Fair Lawn and played sports throughout his childhood,  representing the town playing baseball and soccer. After graduating from Fair Lawn High School in 1991, David attended Hofstra University,  graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education in 1995.

David began his 23 year career in education as a Phys Ed teacher at the Community High School in Teaneck, NJ.  David worked there from 1995 until 2004, during which time he went back to school and earned his Master’s Degree from Montclair State University in Education Administration.  David spent the remainder of his career with the Elmwood Park School District in various leadership positions, culminating in being the Principal of Gilbert Avenue School for 9 years.

David married the love of his life Holly Laird on April 18, 2004, and they settled in Wayne, New Jersey.  During their time together in Wayne they have raised their two children, Zachary and Avery. David and Holly cherished over fifteen years of loving and loyal marriage together.

David never lost his love for sports, he was a devoted New York Yankees and New York Jets fan.  He enjoyed playing golf, was an avid tennis player and recently became a member of the Wayne Racket Club.  David was a selfless person and was always willing to help people solve their problems. He was likeable and funny, using his dry wit to put people at ease and always make the best of any situation.  Aside from all of David’s talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family. Nothing in the world meant more to David than providing for and spending time with his family. His favorite place to be was in his home, sitting around the fireplace with his wife and children.  David was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew him.

David is survived by his wife Holly (nee Laird) of Wayne, one son Zachary Saper (14) of Wayne, one daughter, Avery Saper (12) of Wayne, his parents Alvin Saper and Michele (nee Resnick) of Fair Lawn, one sister Alison Corkery and her husband Michael of Reston, VA, and two nieces, Hailey and Chloe Corkery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in David's name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 http://www.stjude.org.

Steven Mark Verduin, age 62, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 27, 2020, while surrounded by his loving family.

Steve was the younger of two children to Nicholas and Mary Verduin. He cherished memories of growing up on New Street in Wayne. At age 5 he started his baseball career with the Wayne PAL. He brought his talents to Wayne Valley High School where he punted for the football team and lettered in baseball. In adult life, Steve umpired for local high school teams and became head umpire for mens’ softball leagues.

After graduating in the class of ‘75, Steve attended the Bloomfield School of Art, pursuing one of his passions since a young boy. At age eight, Steve won a contest for drawing the cartoon character, Snoopy, and was featured on the front page of the Herald News.

After school, Steve joined Verduin Machinery, his family’s business, and worked alongside his dad, Nicholas. Steve’s career spanned twenty years. He became Vice President of the company and was also an active Paterson Rotarian. After the decline of the textile industry in 2001, Steve made a career change working in the insurance industry. While there, he enjoyed working with people helping them plan for their future. Continuing his love of connecting with others, a few years later, Steve started a company called Complete Home Restorations. Steve brought his artistry into the work of home renovations. His family reaped the benefits of his many talents by hiring Steve for free.

Steve and Elly cherished nearly thirty-nine years of loving each other. It all started in 1976 at a bowling alley. One night during bowling with his league, Steve was approached by an attractive young woman selling raffle tickets. Her name was Elly DiIorio – he bought many tickets and won her heart. As fate would have it they fell in love! Steve and Elly married on April 11, 1981, and bought their first home in Prospect Park. In 1984, they moved to Wayne where they started a family and raised two amazing children, Alex and Kyle.

Steve was a huge New York Yankees, Rangers, and Giants fan. A beautiful day called him to the golf course with buddies. He was also an accomplished self-taught musician. Steve played the guitar and was inspired by a variety of songwriters such as Billy Burger and Sol Knopf. He was a talented writer who spoke from the heart. Steve’s beautiful penmanship adorned many cards and letters to his wife. He loved reading and research and the challenge of learning something new. Steve enjoyed cooking and was famous for bringing family and friends together for his delicious meals. He was a “craft beer specialist” who enjoyed the quest for the best IPA. His mother-in-law, Eleanor, called him a “Renaissance Man.”

Steve’s greatest passion was for his family. He enjoyed the ocean and made many memories with them on Block Island. Steve was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend. He touched the lives of everyone he crossed paths with and will be sincerely missed by those who knew him.

Steve is survived by his wife, Elly DiIorio Verduin, of Wayne, a daughter, Alex Abbato, and her husband, Michael, of Wayne (and a granddaughter on the way), a son, Kyle Verduin, and his wife, Shanna, of Wayne, and his first grandchild, Kane John, his mother, Mary Alice Verduin, formerly of Wayne and presently of Shrewsbury, PA, his sister, Patricia Kitchell, and her husband, Tim, of Pompton Plains, three sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; Karen and Rich Bowen of  VT, George and Sue DiIorio of NJ, Dar and Chris Bowen of MA, his nieces and nephews; Timmy (Godson), Collin, Jason, Charis, Arla, Shawn, Aaron, Georgie (Godson), and Rosa, and eleven great nieces and nephews; Theo, Reese, Claire, Zander, Hudson, Cole, Jazlin, Madison, Greta, Joaquin, and Reese. And those who called him uncle: Jennifer, Joey, Timmy, Jimmy and Sean.  And many other family and special friends who made his life so rich.

He was predeceased by his father, Nicholas Verduin.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Steve Verduin’s name may be made to the Music Memorial Fund, Pompton Reformed Church, 59 Hamburg Turnpike, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 or to the charity of your choice.

Jared A. Petruska, 34 of Wayne, died tragically on Thursday, February 27, 2020.  His untimely loss leaves a painful void for all who loved him.

Jared has been a lifelong resident of Wayne and graduated from Wayne Hills High School with the class of 2004. He was a member of the Wayne Hills Golf Team, winning the State Championship. He understood what ‘hard work’ was from his earliest years and has worked alongside his father at Atlas Paving for many years. Never one to sit on the sidelines, he always took charge and got things done. He was a natural leader and this showed most strongly when he became Crew Chief of the Atlas Paving #66 racing team. Jared loved dirt modified car racing and followed in his father’s footsteps. He led the #66 team to several victories, but he especially loved the camaraderie among all those in the racing community. Jared’s family is particularly grateful for the love and support the racing community has shown them in recent days.

Jared had two sides to his personality. If you knew him primarily through work or racing, then you knew the “stoic tough guy.”  His close friends and family also knew the softer, caring side of Jared. He had a HUGE heart and worried about everyone. He showed his caring through kind, selfless acts and he always felt good doing nice things for others. He felt it his responsibility to keep his loved ones safe and his wife recalls how he used to double-check that the doors were all locked and the alarm was set on their home each day when he left for work. He was truly a worry-wart. He also had a soft-spot for his dogs, and he currently has three. His favorite, a Weimaraner named Gatsby, who he often referred to as “my son,” was his trusty companion.

Jared met his wife Maria (nee Imbruglia) at GIANTS Stadium on December 1, 2007.  Maria was a cheerleader for Wayne Valley Football as they competed for the State Championship against Wayne Hills. Jared was there with his mother, Helen, who knew Maria from town. Helen introduced them to each other and they started dating. Jared got down on his knee, at their home, December 16, 2017 and proposed. They were married on May 3, 2019 at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne, followed by a beautiful reception at the Park Savoy in Florham Park. They honeymooned to Hawaii and Australia before settling into their home in Wayne. Sadly, they have not even celebrated their first anniversary yet, and Maria is expecting their first baby in just a few short months. Maria has decided to establish a memorial fund to honor Jared, for the benefit of their soon-to-be-born baby boy, and friends are asked to contribute in lieu of flowers.

Jared is survived by his beloved wife Maria of Wayne, by his parents; Michael and Helen Petruska of Wayne, two brothers; Michael of Pequannock and Eric and his wife Kenna of Pompton Lakes, his in-laws; Anthony and Annamaria Imbruglia of Wayne, sister-in-law Theresa Williams and her husband Kenny, brother-in-law; Anthony Imbruglia and his girlfriend Kristen Kaetzel, aunts and uncles; Stephen Geusic and his wife Lynn, Lori Ellicott and her husband Jack, Niki Lanza and her husband Tommy, and Frank Riccardi, nieces and nephews; Madelyn and Olivia Petruska, Anthonymichael Imbruglia, Kenny, Sophia, and Ava Williams, and cousins; Brittany and Jeff Bauer, Stephen Geusic, Jr., Ryan and Kristle Ellicott, Adam Ellicott, Danielle Lanza and Alex Lanza, as well as countless friends and extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to the benefit of Jared’s soon-to-be-born baby boy. Make donations payable to “Maria Petruska” c/o Vander May Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.

Edith A. Ridings, age 98 of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, February 27, 2020.  She has lived in Wayne since 1961.

Edith was born in Philadelphia and moved with her family to West Orange, NJ when she was just ten years old.  She graduated from high school there and began working as a switchboard operator for the phone company.  She eventually became a receptionist for Clarkwood Printing in Totowa, where she worked for many years.

Edith met her husband Edward at a USO dance during World War II.  They dated for a few years before marrying on January 12, 1946 at Grace Church in Orange.  They enjoyed a honeymoon to Lake Placid, NY where they both learned to ski and they toured the site of the 1932 Olympic Winter Games.  They enjoyed a very strong marriage for fifty-eight years, dedicated to one another, and setting a powerful example for their children.  They traveled well during their marriage, visiting England, France, Italy, Mexico, Hawaii, and much of the United States.  Later in life, Edith enjoyed playing cards with her Bridge Club, knitting, brisk walks everywhere, and reading.  Sadly, Edward passed away in 2004 from Post-Polio Syndrome, and Edith was heartbroken to lose her dear Edward.

Edith is survived by her three children; Carol Cetrulo and her husband Gerald of Pompton Plains, Cindy Griffenkranz and her husband Arthur of Wayne, and Dr. Edward Ridings, III and his wife Susan of Lewiston, PA, two grandchildren; Alexis Frikkers and her husband Brad, and Valerie Cetrulo of Pompton Plains, as well as two great-grandchildren; Colton and Kendall Frikkers.  She was predeceased by her beloved Edward in 2004, and by her grandson Adam Ridings in 2017.

Those wishing to make a donation in Edith’s memory are asked to consider “Rotary Polio Plus,” c/o Vander May Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.

Grace (MacFarlane) Wagner, age 85, a resident of Wayne for sixty-two years passed Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

Grace was born to William and Ida Mae MacFarlane in Paterson.  She was raised at 92 and later 135 Ryerson Avenue in the City.  Grace graduated from Central High School in Paterson with the Class of 1953.

Grace remembers her dad selling ice, coal, and oil in Paterson.  He would deliver all by horse and wagon throughout the city.  She also remembers that because of his work his hands were always dark from the coal and oil.  During her high school years she got her first job was at Kresgee’s 5&10 in Paterson where she was paid 35 cents an hour. After high school she worked for Wright Aeronautical Corporation in Woodbridge where she and a couple others would car pool from the city to work in Woodbridge all chipping in for gas. Grace worked for Wright’s from 1953 through 1960 when she gave birth to her first son. From then on she was a stay at home mother who was blessed with three sons and one daughter.

Grace was dedicated to her Catholic faith and was a founding parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne where for several years she sang in the choir. Grace had a great green-thumb and was always tending to her house and outdoor plants and flowers.

Grace met Henry Wagner as they were both working at Wright Aeronautical in Woodbridge and met while attending a company softball game. Their first date was to Atlantic City in Henry’s brand new white Ford Fairlane. They soon fell in love and married on October 4, 1958 at Saint Marys RC Church on Union Avenue in Paterson. They drove to Miami, Florida in Henry’s white Fairlane. They have enjoyed fifty-six years of a loving and devoted marriage.

Loving wife of the late Henry Wagner (d.2014); devoted mother of Henry W. Wagner, Jr. and his wife Nancy of Rockaway, Andrew Wagner and his wife Pauline of Ponte Vedra, FL, William Wagner and his wife Cheryl of Wayne, and Mary Beth Chaubard and her husband Pierre of Nyack, NY; cherished grandmother of Leigh, Theresa, Melissa, Sarah, Greg, Nicole, Jackie, Meghan, and Zoe; dear sister of Donald MacFarlane of Tuckerton, and the late William MacFarlane, and the late Kenneth MacFarlane.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing,501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org or Our Lady of Consolation RC Church, 1799 Hamburg Tpk., Wayne, NJ 07470 would be appreciated.

Richard D. Rebecky, age 67, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Richard was born in Passaic and was the youngest of five children to Joseph and Margaret Rebecky.  When Richard was just about ready to start school at five years old, his family moved from Passaic to Wallington.  It was in Wallington where Richard would spend his formative years and attend Wallington High School.  While in high school, Richard excelled in sports particularly baseball, basketball, and football.  Because of his talent, Richard received the “All American Award” at Wallington High for excelling in all three sports.

Subsequent to graduating from Wallington High School with the class of 1971, Richard attended William Paterson College.  After only one year in college, Richard decided that he would try his hand at business ownership.  In 1972, Rich started his own masonry business named R&K Construction.  Rich owned and grew the business from 1972 until 1983.  In 1983, Richard was offered and accepted a position in sales at a company called Servillio Exhibits, where he worked for about ten years.  In 1994, Richard then accepted another sales position with a company called Coastal International. Richard worked his way up from sales to General Manager, and eventually earning the position of President of the company.  Richard held this position until his passing, his career with Coastal International spanned twenty-six years.

During the time Richard owned his masonry business, in 1979, he was introduced through mutual friends to an attractive young woman by the name of Kathleen McQuillan.  Rich and Kate hit it off great and started dating.  As fate would have it they fell in love and were married on September 6, 1980.  Rich and Kate settled in Clifton shortly after getting married, but only lived there for about a year.  The couple then moved to Wallington where they lived for about two years.  In 1984, Rich and Kate moved again, this time to East Rutherford.  They stayed in East Rutherford for about twelve years, during which they welcomed the births of their four children.  As their children started growing up, Rich and Kate then moved to Wayne in 1996 and have been their ever since.  Richard and Kate cherished nearly forty years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Richard never lost his love for sports, he was a huge New York Yankees fan, Mickey Mantle being one of his favorite players.  He collected a variety of sports memorabilia including hats, jerseys, and baseball and basketball cards.  Rich also enjoyed playing golf.  Every summer for many years he and his family vacationed to Hilton Head, SC where he would play golf and spend time at the beach.  Another hobby that Rich took interest in was Real Estate.  Richard enjoyed buying and selling real estate in his spare time.  He had an outstanding work ethic and was dedicated to his career, always loyal to the people he worked for and the people he worked with.  However, Richard’s greatest passion, aside from his hobbies and interests, was his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Richard than providing for and spending time with his children and grandchildren.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and could always make you smile no matter what the situation.  He was compassionate, generous, and would go out of his way to help anyone that needed it. Richard was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Richard is survived by his wife Kate (McQuillan) of Wayne, one son CJ Rebecky of Providence, RI, three daughters Ryann Jodoin and her husband Colt of West Milford, Melissa Rebecky and her fiancé Joel Morales of Wayne,  and Samantha Rebecky of Wayne,  two grandsons, Noah Perez and Colt Jodoin, Jr., two brothers; Frank Rebecky and his wife Teri of Sefner, FL, and John Rebecky and his wife Dolores of Wallington, one sister Jennifer Faries of Indianapolis, IN, and numerous nieces and nephews, Richard is also survived by his sister-in-law Marilyn Rebecky of Colorado, and his two brother-in-laws; Mac McQuillan of Rutherford, and David McQuillan and his wife Michelle of Vernon . Richard was predeceased by his brother Joe Rebecky and also by his sister-in-law Chickie McQuillan.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 http://www.stjude.org, or CRS Foundtion, 7-B Tosch Avenue, Wayne, NJ 07470, http://www.carlosraymondfoundation.com

Phyllis Elsie Kelley Haertel age 94, of Wayne passed Sunday, February 23, 2020.

She was born the second of four children to Cecil and Elsie Kelley and raised on Peach Tree Street in Decatur, Georgia.  Phyllis was heartbroken when her father received a job transfer and the family had to leave Decatur and she missed her senior year of high school there. The family moved to the Bronx, New York and resided in Parkchester. She graduated from Cathedral High School in the Bronx with the Class of 1942.  

After high school Phyllis went to Hunter College in New York City where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. After college she found work with the Phizer Corporation in New York City as a chemist. When her children were born she dedicated herself to being a stay at home mom.  Once the children were older she returned to school at Rutgers University where she got her Masters Degree in Library Science.  Once she had this degree she worked at the Passaic High School and Belleville libraries. As you could never get the New York out of Phyllis she soon found a job at the French Institute in New York City as a librarian. She didn’t speak even a little French but held a job where the people spoke French and the books were all in French as well. When asked how she kept this job she would say she just smiled a lot and tried to be as pleasant as possible. Phyllis loved this job as she could commute to New York City with Gerry twice a week. Phyllis could shop all around New York and would have lunch, happy hour, and dinner with Gerry all the time. As a matter of fact, in the long run it cost them more money each week than she earned at work.  

Phyllis met Gerry Haertel at a CYO dance in the Bronx.  She knew he was the man for her because he was a big spender having bought her a large coke at the dance. Gerry was in the Army during WWII and the family is blessed to have a box of correspondence letters memorializing their courtship.  They married on June 19, 1948 at Saint Raymond’s Church in the Bronx and honeymooned at Sugar Maples.  Their first home together was a one bedroom apartment in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. Phyllis and Gerry’s marriage was blessed with three children while living in their apartment.  The three children shared a bedroom and Phyllis and Gerry slept on a pull out couch in the living room.  In 1958 they bought a home for $15,000.00 in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne that the family would call home for the next sixty-two years.

Phyllis was dedicated to her Catholic faith and a founding parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church where she served as a Eucharistic Minister at church and for shut-ins. For many years she and Gerry donated flowers to the church placed next to the tabernacle because as Phyllis would say “Jesus should have nice flowers.”

Phyllis will be missed for her larger than life personality.  When she entered a room there was no mistaking the fact that she was there.  She was energetic, in charge, and considered it her job to have a good time.  She was always saying “let’s have fun” or “wasn’t that fun.” Just this past New Year’s Eve she had friends over and drank scotch; that big loving personality will leave a huge hole in the hearts of those who knew her. Phyllis was a political conservative and you were best to leave that part of her alone.   For many years Phyllis orchestrated a card ministry where she would send cards on just about any and all holidays to let people know they were loved and someone was thinking of them.  This ministry paid dividends as she would get all kinds of cards in the mail as well. Phyllis was a master of the card game Bridge. She faithfully attended and played at Wayne Adult Community Center four days a week.  She loved all of the people there! At the age of 80 she was crowned Golf Champ at the Packanack Lake Golf Club and at the age of 90 she bowled a 200 game. She was truly blessed to have 94 very good years and just two months of difficulty before her passing.

Phyllis was the loving wife of fifty-two years to the late Gerry Haertel; devoted mother of Joseph Haertel of Arlington, VA and Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Cynthia Chamberland and her husband Michael of Martha’s Vineyard, and Claudia Peterson and her husband Carl of Wayne; she was the cherished grandmother of Greg Chamberland and his wife Meredith, Jeff Chamberland and his wife Amy, Keith Peterson, and Kevin Peterson; dearly loved great-grandmother of Braedan Chamberland and Teagan Chamberland; she was also the beloved sister of the late Barbara Linhardt, late Ed Kelley, and late Neil Kelley.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Maryknoll Sisters (click here to donate in Phyllis' memory) would be appreciated.

Gertrude “Trudy” Slootmaker, age 80, of Pequannock, died on Sunday, February 23 2020. Her family was lovingly gathered by her side at the time of her passing.

Trudy was born in Passaic, NJ on June 12, 1939.  She was the only child of Henry and Nettie Densel.  She was the delight of her parents who were in their late 30’s when she was born.  In her early years, Trudy was doted on by her Dad, and there are pictures of her as a young girl with dozens of dolls. Sadly though, this happy family was not long lived.  When Trudy was only 5 years old, her father Henry passed away at the young age of 42, and his death left a huge void in her life. She was blessed with a wonderful, loving mother in Nettie.  Trudy and Nettie were never really apart until Nettie’s passing in 2005 at the age of 103.

After Henry’s passing, Trudy and Nettie moved in with Henry’s brother Richard “Dick” Densel and his wife Connie.  They lived with this family in Passaic Park, NJ until Trudy’s marriage in 1959.  Trudy attended Passaic public schools and graduated from Passaic High School in 1957.

The Densel family attended the Free Reformed Church, first in Passaic, and later in Clifton, NJ where Trudy’s uncle, Rev. Benjamin Densel was the pastor.  Trudy was the church organist.  She played the organ from her teenage years in Clifton right up into her 70’s when she played for services at Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church . It was at the church that Trudy met Neil Slootmaker.  The two were childhood friends who grew into teenage sweethearts. They were married on May 12, 1959 at the Free Reformed Church with Trudy’s Uncle Ben officiating and her Uncle Dick walking her down the aisle.

Trudy and Neil honeymooned in Florida and settled into an apartment in Paterson.  It was here that they welcomed their first son Henry Densel Slootmaker into the world. The young family purchased a house on Curie Avenue in Clifton.  The family grew quickly as twins Janet and John were born.  Nettie moved in with Neil and Trudy at this time and remained with them for the rest of her life.  The household continued getting larger as Nettie married Job Faber and then  son William and daughter Nanci arrived.  The family moved to Pequannock Township in December 1979.  Not long after the move, the youngest child, Cynthia was born.  All in all, Trudy and Neil had six children over a span of 21 years.

Nothing gave Trudy more joy in life than being a mom.  She loved her children deeply and devoted herself to their care.  She always sought the best for them and did what she could to make sure that they were well cared for. Holidays and birthdays were among the occasions that she showered gifts on them. She really enjoyed having fun with her children.  Family vacations to Ormond Beach, Florida, including the long drive to Florida from NJ, were always an adventure.

Trudy was a great cook.  There hasn’t been a cookbook published that she didn’t own.  She’d like to get ideas from a variety of sources and then put her own spin on them.  She provided many wonderful meals for her family and enjoyed preparing them.

Trudy also loved people.  She’d chat with just about anybody and soon become fast friends.  In the 1990’s she drove a school bus for the Netherlands Reformed Christian School and loved all “her kids” that she brought back and forth to school.  In later years, she’d see them as adults and remind them that they were one of “her kids”.

Trudy’s Christian faith was a vital part of who she was.  She loved to play the organ and sing Psalters and hymns.  For many years, the organ was a central piece in the living room and the family would gather together to sing.  She always told people that she sought to play music to “the honor and glory of God”.  She loved to be in worship and wanted her family to be there too.  In recent years when she was not always able to get to church, she’d watch services on her iPad as they were broadcast over the web. She sought to serve God and was grateful for the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Trudy will be deeply missed by her family.  She loved them dearly and they loved her the same.  She is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Cornelius “Neil” Slootmaker and her six loving children and their spouses:  Henry, John (Mary), William (Bonnie) & Cynthia Slootmaker, Janet (Scott) Okken and Nanci (Steven) Wozniak.  She is also survived by 13 grandchildren:  Henry (Elizabeth), Ryan, Robert (Leann), John (Stephanie), William, Alexander & Benjamin Slootmaker, Jennifer (Gonzalo) Diaz, Jeffrey (Lauren) Okken, Jessica (Paul) Sullivan, Tyler, Evan & Kayla Wozniak and 5 great grandchildren:  Auston, Mason, Teagan, Gonzalo, & Gabriel.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Trudy Slootmaker's memory to www.overlookfoundation.org. (If donating online you must click on the donate button and then the "Designation" drop down box and choose "Other", then type in "Thomas Glasser Curegivers Center at Overlook Medical Center."

Overlook Foundation

Donation to: Thomas Glasser Curegivers Center

46-48 Beauvoir Ave

Summit, NJ 07901

In lieu of flowers memorial donation to Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 or Several Sources Shelter, PO Box 157 Ramsey, NJ 07446 would be appreciated.

JOSEPH'S LIFE STORY

Joe was born in Albany, New York to Frances and Jacob Smith.  He lived in Albany until he began his career in New York City.  It was at the Coca-Cola Export Corp. where Joe met Eileen. Their first date was to the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center and then to dinner at Benihana.   That was in December of 1971.  In March of 1972 they became engaged and were married on July 29, 1972.  The day before they were married they both became unemployed!  Coca-Cola moved the subsidiary to Atlanta and although they went to Atlanta to see if they wanted to make a move, it was too important to be close to family so they stayed in New York.

Joe and Eileen honeymooned in Mexico starting in Mexico City and winding their way down through small towns into Acapulco.  Joe loved Mexico.  He had traveled there extensively for business and they went back together several times exploring smaller towns and villages.

Joe worked for Todd Shipyards for a seven years and during that time was sent to various shipyards.  Eileen always traveled with him and they were able to live for short periods of time in Redondo Beach, California, Seattle, Washington, and Galveston, Texas.  They made the most of this opportunity throughout the country — from Mexico to British Columbia and Vancouver, the northwestern states and the south.   Through his career Joe also worked at the Schaefer Brewing Company, Haskins & Sells, Financial Information Services Agency (FISA), and Pace University where he also worked as an adjunct professor.

When Joe graduated from high school he didn’t know what he wanted to do so he joined the Marines.  He always credited the Marines with giving him focus and maturity.  His mother said he left a boy and returned a man.  He was proud of his service to his country and when he saw a fellow Marine on the street he would be sure to extend the greeting, “Semper Fi.”

On returning home, Joe began his studies at Renssalear Polytechnic Institute graduating with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.  He continued his studies receiving four Master’s degrees from New York University (NYU):  Master of Business Education, Master of Industrial Engineering, Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, and Master of Science in Operations Research.   Joe was a great believer in education.  When he married Eileen she had a two-year secretarial degree.  For the first few years of their marriage he gave her courses at NYU in subjects he knew she would enjoy and then encouraged her to go to NYU for undergraduate work and then Pace for graduate degrees.

Joe had many interests. He loved sports and amazed people with the way he was able to retain statistics not just of his favorite sport, baseball, but hockey and football as well.  He was a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.   His nephews Eric (and his wife Nikki) and Scott gave him the MLB station for Christmas the last two years and he did not miss a game.

He took great interest in the sinking of the Titanic — both from a standpoint of engineering and sociology.  He believed that this tragedy awakened people to the injustice of the class system as upper class people were taken to safety as lower classes locked behind gates left to die.

Joe simply loved being with people.  After 31 years in Queens they moved to Wayne and they always felt it was the best move they ever made.  They were close to family in Wayne - and closer to family in Albany.  Joe had wonderful friends in Wayne:  neighbors, church communities, and his pool pals. When the pool closed this year on Labor Day, Joe wanted to have a winter pool reunion.  He shared this with his friend Brian Nafash and with his wife Cris they managed to pull off a reunion just a few weeks ago.  It’s so wonderful that he had that time with people whom he loved.

He also loved animals.  When Joe and Eileen lived in California they adopted a neighbor’s cat.  They’ve had cats ever since and Joe spoiled them terribly.  Sam, Rusty, and Ozzie, the current feline family members, are all Wayne cats who wandered up on his deck.

Joe loved being with family.  When he moved to New York to start his first job out of college he spent his vacations back in Albany with his three nephews and niece going to the Catskill Game Farm and Fort Edward.   When great nieces and nephews came along he enjoyed time with them as well — with Stephanie and Chris at the Toll Gate for ice cream and Moreau Lake and with Renee and Marissa watching cartoons.   He enjoyed spending time with his two New Jersey nephews, he had dinner just a week ago with Scott — a fellow engineer of whom he was so proud and he would watch his St. Louis Cardinals agonizing over every play with his nephews Eric and Mike and his brother-in-law Artie.  Within the last few months several of his nephews and nieces were able to get to NJ to visit and he was so thrilled.

Joe was a very devoted husband.  A cousin once remarked that Joe and Eileen did everything together - and that’s very true.  Be it as simple as Saturday morning at the “OD” (Oakland Diner) to seeing much of this country, to day trips around New Jersey, or just hanging out with friends at the pool they were always together.  Though Joe was Roman Catholic and Eileen is a Lutheran they spent much time in one another’s parishes.  Joe always felt that there was a chance that he would predecease Eileen and with that in mind encouraged her to do things on her own.  He was very supportive in her church work even to giving up Saturday mornings for two years while she pursued her diaconal studies.  He encouraged her friendships.  He encouraged her career.   In going through some papers the day that Joe died, Eileen found that he had kept every review she received when working.  He was proud and encouraging of her achievements.  When Eileen was diagnosed with a rare cancer he was her biggest cheerleader, nurse extraordinaire, and advocate.   He tried his hand at cooking for her but that cooking was not his forte.  Yet he excelled at scrambled eggs and Jell-O.  He was always grateful to his sister-in-law Racquel and her husband Art for taking Eileen to all her appointments, making meals, and other ways of caring that are too numerous to mention.

Joe’s faith was very important to him.  He attended Our Lady Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church in Albany where he was active as an altar boy.  He was so dedicated to this work that he was often called upon for weddings and funerals — but with strict instructions from Sister DeSales:  do not sing!  (Singing was not his gift.)  He continued his schooling at Vincentian Institute in Albany where he formed life-long friendships.  He was a daily communicant at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church and attended religious education classes there as well as First Friday Adoration.  

It is impossible to name every person whose life he touched and how much each person in his life — from new friends to those going back to his school days — meant to him.  If he would have one wish it would be that all those whom he loved and now live with his memory know that he loved them and was grateful to God for them.  

He is survived by his cherished wife, Eileen, his sister- and brother-in-law Racquel and Arthur White, his nephews and nieces: Michael (Mary Jean) Jackson, Thomas (Janice) Jackson, Daniel Jackson, Marybeth (Thomas) Huyck, Eric (Nicole) White, and Scott White and his great nephews and nieces:  Stephanie (Jason) Cosco, Renee Jackson, Marissa (Trey) Jasenski), and Thomas Huyck.  He was predeceased by his parents Frances and Jacob Smith, his sister Joan Jackson and brother-in-law Robert Jackson, his beloved great nephew Christopher Jackson and dear friend Francis O’Connor.

Eternal rest grant him, O Lord and may light perpetual shine upon him.

May he with all the saints in the mercy of God rest in peace.

Loretta M. Slaska (nee Falat), age 82 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 19, 2020.  She had lived in Wayne most of her life.

Loretta was born in Auburn, NY and moved to Passaic, NJ as a little girl.  She later moved to Wayne in 1964.  She was a school crossing guard during the 1960’s and worked at the former Fountains of Wayne during the 1970’s.  She also drove a school bus for the Wayne Township schools during the 1980’s.

Loretta enjoyed all sorts of crafts, building birdhouses, and she was a talented artist and painter.  She had a great flare for decorating her home, was a creative cook, and an even more creative story teller.  She truly enjoyed tending to her flower garden and always kept it looking immaculate.  Loretta always adored her parents, and she missed them dearly after they had passed away.  She remembered her dad fondly, and she often reminisced about what a kind and gentle woman her mother was.  More recently, Loretta loved time with her grandchildren and they brought her much happiness.

Loretta is survived by her son Edward Slaska and his wife Mindy of Wayne, her son Dennis Slaska and his wife Monica of Ft. Myers, FL, three grandchildren; Sebastian, Sophia, and Sabrina of Wayne, three sisters; Joan Thomson (Bill) of Toms River, Barbara Galiger of CT, and Diane Brown of FL, one brother; Jack Falat (Pat) of Pawleys Island, SC, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband Edward in 2019, and by her sister Catherine Chiaparelli of Scranton, PA, in 2015.

Please note: the memorial visitation for Jim will be at Vander May Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ on Friday, October 8, 2021 from 4-7pm with military honors at 6:30pm.  A memorial Mass will take place on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 9:30am at St. Mary's RC Church in Pompton Lakes, NJ.  Please meet directly at church.

James C. Barone, age 87, of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home, on Monday, February 17, 2020.

Jim was born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY. After graduating from Bishop Duffy Catholic High School with the Class of 1950, he went on for undergraduate studies at University of Cincinnati, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 1956. Jim later attended graduate school at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, PA where he earned his Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 1959.

Jim served in the United States Army where, as a Second Lieutenant, he conducted solid propellant research. After being honorably discharged, Jim enjoyed the bulk of his career as a chemical engineer and commercial manager for American Cyanamid Corporation.

While working at American Cyanamid, Jim met his future wife Elaine (nee Tartaglia). Jim and Elaine exchanged their wedding vows before friends and family on September 3, 1960 at Sacred Heart Church in Stanford, Connecticut and enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage for 60 years. Jim and Elaine were blessed with two sons, Christopher and James, Jr.

Jim and Elaine’s first home together as husband and wife was in Stanford, Connecticut. Because of Jim’s work, they moved around a bit, living also in North Haven, Connecticut and Louisville, Kentucky before settling into the Packanack Lake section of Wayne in 1974.

Outside of work, Jim had many interests, one of which was model trains. This hobby started small scale in his basement but soon that small layout grew to become huge and quite elaborate and his buddies would be over frequently as they too shared Jim’s interest in trains. Over time, Jim’s hobby led to the formation of the Packanack Train Club of which, Jim became the President. One of the highlights came every year around Christmas time, when the club members would break down the train layout and reset it up at the Packanack Clubhouse so that all the neighborhood children could come to be amazed by the trains.

Jim’s other hobbies were also pretty much centered on his life in Packanack Lake. He was big into fishing and so it was only natural that he would be a member of the Packanack Anglers Club. He also loved to take in a game of golf and, once again, the Golf course in Packanack was his course of choice.

At home, Jim could often be found tending to his prized roses and in the evening he and Elaine loved to relax and watch NHL Hockey games featuring their favorite team, the New Jersey Devils. Jim’s radio dial was usually tuned to WQXR, the classical radio station and much to Elaine’s mild frustration, Jim only seemed to know one volume – loud!

Jim loved his wife Elaine and two sons, Chris and James, Jr. He adored his two granddaughters Dagny and Isabel and loved talking frequently with them on the telephone. While he was often strong-willed and serious, he could equally display a great sense of humor which always kept them laughing.

Jim was the loving husband to Elaine. Loving father of Christopher and wife Marcia Barone of Kutztown, PA, and James Barone, Jr. of St. Jacob, IL; and grandfather of Dagny Moll Barone and Isabel Moll Barone. He was predeceased by his two sisters: Marie Urso and Vincinette McDowell.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Anatomical Association, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854-5635.

John J. Sheridan, age 81 of Pompton Plains, died unexpectedly on Saturday, February 15, 2020.  He has lived in Pompton Plains for 50 years.

John worked his entire professional career with Bell Telephone as an installer.  He remained with the company through all the name changes over the years and retired in 1999.  His service was marked by numerous awards for dedication and exemplary work ethic, including recognition for not taking a ‘sick day’ in a record number of years.  He loved his job and the crew he worked with.

John grew up in Wayne and after graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served from 1957-1961.  Upon being discharged, he returned to Wayne and a romance with his high school sweetheart ensued.  Barbara Stuart was also John’s next door neighbor and they had known each other since they were kids.  They were married on June 6, 1964, and after a honeymoon to Mt. Airy Lodge in the Poconos, they settled at the Beaver Brook Apartments in Lincoln Park. Their daughter, Michelle, was born in 1968.  In 1969, they moved to Pompton Plains where they raised their daughter.  Over the years, they enjoyed summer vacations to Wildwood Crest, many holiday events with extended family, and fun days at PV Park that continued with the granddaughters.  John was also a HUGE fan of the NY GIANTS and the YANKEES, especially Derek Jeter.  He held Giants season tickets for many years and rarely missed a game. His daughter shared his love of sports and watching games together on TV and at the stadiums.

Sadly, John lost his beloved Barbara suddenly in 1999, and he was nothing short of devastated. New life was breathed into him when his granddaughters were born.  They were the greatest thing for him.  He was an “on the floor” type of “Pop-Pop” to Courtney and Danielle, playing with toys on the carpet, and having a great time with them always.  The girls especially loved visiting “Pop-Pop’s beach,” which was what they called PV Park.  After a fun day of swimming, they would all go to Curly’s for ice cream.  He also enjoyed playing basketball with them, joking around, trips to Dunkin’ Donuts, and they recently introduced him to the filters on Snapchat and they would take fun selfies.  He simply loved those girls more than anything and they brought him more joy than they probably know.  Surely they will miss their Pop-Pop dearly. As everyone knows, John and Michelle had a very special band, and John freely expressed the love and pride he had for his daughter, and hers of him.

John is survived by his daughter; Michelle Rizzo and her husband Jack of Parsippany, his two granddaughters, Courtney, 15, and Danielle, 11, and three sisters; Edythe Shaw of Wayne, Maryann Connolly of Fairfield, and Mildred Ferraro of Wayne.  He was predeceased by his wife Barbara in 1999.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Heart Association.

A Memorial Service for Dolores M. Hauer will be held on Saturday, August 7, 2021 beginning 11:00 AM at St. Michaels Episcopal Church, 1219 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ. An offsite lunch will follow at Amore of Wayne Restaurant 611 Ratzer Road Wayne, NJ, and will begin at 12:30 PM.

Dolores M. Hauer, age 91, of Wayne, passed away on Friday, February 14, 2020.

Dolores was born and raised in Newark, NJ where she graduated from Catholic high school in 1945. As was common during her era, Dolores pursued further education in preparation for a secretarial career.

As a career secretary, Dolores held positions with various companies throughout her career. Early on she worked for Miller’s Nursery in Wayne and for the office of Robert Molnar, attorney in Wayne. The bulk of her career was with the Township of Wayne where she served as secretary for the town’s judge and in the mayor’s office. She retired in 1986, but stayed connected in the activities of Wayne by volunteering at the Wayne Township Library where she taught English as a second language, and also participating in the Preakness Women’s Club.

At the tender age of nineteen, Dolores married Edward Hauer. They exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on Saturday, June 28, 1947 at St. Peter’s R.C. Church in Newark. The newlyweds honeymooned in New England, including Cape Cod, Massachusetts. While on that honeymoon, they simply fell in love with the Cape and visited regularly in the ensuing 59 years of their loving and devoted life together as husband and wife. In fact, after starting out living in a cold water flat in Newark, in 1950, they purchased their own Cape Cod style home in Wayne and fashioned it after the homes they loved so much on the Cape. Dolores took great pride in that house and worked diligently to keep it looking impeccable, feeling that it was her neighbor’s collective responsibility to do the same. She and Ed lived in that home for the rest of their lives – a combined total of seventy years.

Dolores was so very loving and outgoing lady who made friends wherever she went. It was nothing unusual for her to be walking her dog - first King 1, a beautiful Dalmatian, and later King 2, another equally sweet Dalmatian, down at the local park. While out for those walks, she regularly struck up light conversation with other park visitors and just as regularly, she’d warmly invite her “new friends” home for dinner. This was pure pleasure for Dolores who loved to cook and entertain for those impromptu times as well as for many family holiday gatherings.

Seldom one to sit still, Dolores and Ed enjoyed time together in their little motor boat which always accompanied them to Cape Cod and which they would also take on Greenwood Lake. When in the comfort of her home, Dolores used her excellent seamstress, cross stitch and quilting skills to make beautiful blankets, quilts, hats, mittens and scarves, many which she donated to charity. She also enjoyed tinsel painting – painting on glass. A long-time member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, Dolores was actively involved with the church’s Alter Guild.

Truthful and passionate, Dolores will always be remembered for her friendly, outgoing disposition. She touched the lives of all who were blessed to know her and will be dearly missed.

Dolores was the beloved wife of the late Edward Hauer who passed away in 2006; loving sister of the late Robert Celi and the late Jeffrey Celi; dear aunt of Meredith Celi, Allyson Celi, the late Lisa Celi Ferdinandi, Patty Hauer Valente, Janice Paulussen, and Lee Williams; and great-aunt of Victoria Ferdinandi and Nicholas Ferdinandi.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dolores’s name are asked to consider St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Wayne.

Roger A. Swajger, 83 of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, February 13, 2020.  Roger has lived in Wayne since 1962.

Roger was raised in Secaucus where he found work on a farm at just twelve years old.  He recognized at an early age that hard work and perseverance were necessary for success, and he was never afraid to work hard.  He saved enough money to buy his own car while still in high school, and he bought many of his own clothes (which was profoundly evident to any stylist…).

After graduating high school in Jersey City, Roger began working for Western Electric as a Tool and Die Maker’s apprentice.  He excelled there and began taking classes at Stevens Institute of Technology for Tool Design and then earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson.  It took him ten years to earn his degree while working full time, raising his family and paying a mortgage, but he was certainly persistent.  He became Plant Manager and ultimately General Manager for Industrial Retaining Ring Company in Irvington, NJ and retired in 1998 after a lengthy career.  But Roger never sat still and during his retirement, he served as Superintendent at the Preakness Reformed Church Cemetery in Wayne.  He also maintained a tool shop at home and loved to tinker.  He could fix just about anything and took great pride in his landscaping.  He trusted no one to care for his yard, so he took care of it all himself – and he was certainly good at it.  His home was a source of great pride for Roger; he designed it himself, and was his own General Contractor during construction.  He even did the bulk of the electrical work, passing all the inspections!  During the winter months, when he couldn’t be landscaping, he took to puttering with his model railroad, which was among his favorite hobbies.

Roger met his wife Alice when they were in Dickinson High School in Jersey City.  He sat in front of her in 12th grade History class and they were “high school sweethearts.”  Roger was among the few students who owned his own car and although his Plymouth Convertible wasn’t beautiful, it was fun.  Romance ensued and they were married on May 10, 1958 at the First Reformed Church in Jersey City.  They flew to Bermuda for a honeymoon, staying at Elbow Beach, and then enjoyed a cruise back home to New York City.  They had a great time in Bermuda, where Alice got sun poisoning, and crashed her moped, sending her over the handlebars and sliding on the pavement.  Despite such a rocky start, they celebrated sixty one years together in a marriage that was a true partnership marked by love, and lots of fun.  Over the years, they went on countless cruises to places like Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Baltic Sea, and the Caribbean.  For their fiftieth anniversary, they took twenty members of their family on a celebratory cruise to Bermuda.  That trip was among the most memorable, but not for the reasons you might think.  A passenger unfortunately fell overboard, the ship encountered forty-foot seas caused by an approaching hurricane, and just about everyone got horribly seasick.  Other than that, a great time was had by all.  Roger adored his family and his children recall trips to Virginia Beach to visit his brother “Freddie” and Jean where great memories were made.   The kids also recall helping their dad with his numerous projects around the house which taught them all many handyman skills that they all appreciate today.  They will all miss him dearly.

Roger is survived by his dear wife Alice of Wayne, four children; Mark and his wife Sharon of Oak Ridge, NJ, Keith and his wife Judy of West Milford, Glenn and his wife Jennifer of Ticonderoga, NY, and Nancy Redinger and her husband John of Ramsey, ten grandchildren; Amanda, Leanne, Kate, Julia, Erin, Ben, Matt, Alex, Jack, and Colin, and one great-grandson; Gabriel.   He was predeceased by his brother, Fred Swajger Jr., who he missed dearly.

In lieu of flowers, Donations in Roger’s memory would be appreciated to the Preakness Reformed Church Cemetery Fund, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Rita M. Gillooly Clancy, age 86, passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at St Mary’s Home at Asbury Ridge.  She was born April 23, 1933 in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of the late Margaret and Francis Gillooly.

After graduating from St Joseph’s Commercial High School in Brooklyn, NY she was an administrative secretary for the FBI.  On February 9, 1957, she married Frank L. Clancy, who passed away in July of 2006.  They were married for forty nine years.  The couple moved to Packanack Lake, Wayne, NJ in 1965 where they raised their two daughters.  Rita worked as an administrative secretary for the Fairfield Police Department.  She relocated to Erie, PA in 2006 to be closer to family.

Rita loved her family and enjoyed playing tennis, reading, and swimming at the beach.  She also enjoyed the Packanack Lake Garden Club.  She kept active by participating in many church activities, and she attended mass daily.  She and her husband Frank were members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Francis Gillooly and his wife Mary Ann.

She is survived by two daughters, Eileen Scutella (Mike) of Erie, PA and Barbara Fitzgerald (Sean) of Grand Rapids, MI, and her grandchildren, Michael, Lauren and Daniel Scutella of Erie and John, Conor and Caroline of Grand Rapids.  She is also survived by sister-in-law’s Patricia Canning, Wayne, NJ and Joan Doherty, Fredericksburg, VA, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations may be made to Saint Mary’s Home of Erie, 4855 West Ridge Rd, Erie, PA 16056.

Jean O. Kim Kang, MD, age 91, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday, February 10, 2020, while receiving the loving care of her family.

Jean was born in 1928 and raised in Seoul, South Korea.  She graduated high school in 1945 at the end of the Second World War.  After high school, at the urging of her father, she entered Ewha Women's Medical School during the Japanese colonial days.  She was a member of the first class to graduate from the prestigious Ewha Women's Medical School.

During the Korean War, Jean had a chance of working with American M.A.S.H. units and medical staff.  After the war, she was given an opportunity to further her medical education in the United States.

Jean immigrated to the United States in 1960 and completed her residency in Anesthesiology at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. She worked at a hospital in Washington, D.C. as an anesthesiologist for a number of years while raising her three children. In 1978, Jean was offered a position with the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, VA.  Jean held this position until her retirement in 2000.  After her retirement, Jean moved to Wayne to be closer to her children and grandchildren (not to mention the Korean restaurants).  Jean enjoyed traveling with her husband Steve and accomplished their determined goal of traveling to all seven continents.  She was a wonderful cook and cherished annual visit to Atlantic City with her family over the years.  Jean was loving and energetic, she was a dedicated physician. However, aside from all of Jean’s hobbies and talents, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Jean than spending time with, and providing for her husband, children, and grandchildren.  Jean cherished more than thirty years of loving and loyal marriage to her husband Steve.  Being a devoted physician, she cared for and touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.            

Jean is survived by her Husband Steve Kang of Wayne, one daughter Sunny Choi and her husband Douglas Semonche of Mahwah, two sons Tom Choi and his wife Karen of Lynnfield, MA, and Allen Kim and his wife Dina of Charlotte, NC, five grandchildren; Alexa Semonche, Kendrick Semonche, Colby Choi, Kiley Choi, and Alexander Kim.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jean’s name may be made to the Valley Hospital Foundation, 223 North Van Dien Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. https://www.valleyhospitalfoundation.org/

Leonard Andrew Babich, age 84, of Wanaque, formerly a Wayne resident of over forty years, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, February 8, 2020.  

Len was born in Passaic to Andrew and Rose Babich.  He lived in Passaic until he was about ten years old when his family moved to 32 Scoles Avenue in Clifton.  Len, who during his high school years was known as “Clem,” played on the Clifton High School basketball team and graduated with the Class of 1953. After high school Len continued his education at the Newark College of Engineering.  After a few semesters he decided to enlist in the United States Army with the promise of the GI Bill that would help with college tuition costs and help him further his education. During his service he was stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Fort Dix in New Jersey. After his service in the Army Len enrolled at Farleigh Dickinson University, where he would attend nights and weekends, to get his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting.

During his high school years he met a pretty girl name Mary Anne Cummings while riding on the school bus.  After a first date to Rutt’s Hut they would eventually fall in love and marry on September 1, 1956 at Assumption of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church on Orange Avenue in Clifton. Len and Mary Anne honeymooned in Atlantic City.  Soon after they married is when Len enlisted in the Army. Upon his discharge from the service they lived on Banta Avenue in Garfield before moving to Wayne in 1964.  They lived and raised their family at 40 Toms Lake Road in Wayne before moving to Wanaque Reserve about twelve years ago. They have enjoyed sixty-three years of a loving and devoted marriage that was blessed with three children.

During his high school years Len worked as a soda jerk at Johnsons Soda Shop on Passaic Avenue in Clifton. The rest of his work history would include an over fifty year career in the New York City printing industry.  Through the years he worked for Webb Offset Printing in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, Rolls Printing in Farmingdale, Long Island, NY (which he would say was a horrendous commute), and finally he worked for Devon Lithographics in Brooklyn, NY before retiring in 2005. He was a long time fan of the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.  In his retirement he enjoyed golf, bowling, helping out the finance committee for his building association, and walking his dog Wally. Most of all he enjoyed being “pop pop” to his grandchildren.  He was often there for them when they came home from school and loved attending their sporting events and dance recitals.

Len will be remembered as a very social guy who could be funny when you least expected it.  The Babich’s home was often the destination for parties with family, friends, and neighbors.  Whether it was trips with friends to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, dancing lessons, or several years in a local bowling league; Len and Mary Anne were always up for a good time.

Len was the loving husband of sixty-three years to Mary Anne (Cummings) Babich; devoted father of Pamela Sussman and her husband Bruce of Wayne, Melissa Krapohl and her husband Eric of Sparta, and Brian Leonard Babich and his wife Joanna of Pompton Lakes; he was the cherished grandfather of Jordan Sussman of Jersey City, Matthew  Sussman of Wayne, Emily Krapohl of Sparta, Hayley Sussman of Wayne, Amanda  Sussman of Wayne, Evan Krapohl of Sparta, Patrick Babich of Pompton Lakes and Jack Babich also of Pompton Lakes; he was also the loved brother of Stephen Babich and his wife Barbara of Delaware and the late Mary Ann Neider (d.2011).

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Wanaque First Aid Squad, 4 Melrose Ave., Wanaque, NJ 07465 would be appreciated.

Ethel Cavaliere, age 97, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 8, 2020.

Ethel was born and raised in Passaic. After high school, she worked on an assembly line for a company in her hometown that made hankies. Ethel and her co-worker’s were paid per hankie folded, but when the other woman on the assembly line became aware Ethel was gifted at cutting and setting hair, they happily folded her allotment of hankies while Ethel did their hair.  Not sure if she ever folded a hankie!

One night, while attending a boxing match to see her brother Dickie compete, Ethel met a handsome Italian gentleman by the name of Arthur Cavaliere. Art just happened to be her brother Dickie’s trainer.  Her brother won the match and afterwards Ethel proceeded to go into the locker room to congratulate him.  That was their first encounter. Art at first hollered to her to “get out, she wasn’t allowed in there”, then he caught site of her beauty and those gorgeous legs and the rest is history.  They quickly fell in love and married soon after at the Catholic Cathedral in Passaic on Sunday November 16, 1941. Ethel was just nineteen when they exchanged their wedding promises and, when asked how Art proposed, she said, “He didn’t! He just told me we were getting married!” Well, it turned out to be a marriage made in heaven because they enjoyed a loving and devoted life together as husband and wife for nearly 56 years until Art’s passing in 1997. Ethel often referred to Art as her “Italian Stallion”.

After a three day honeymoon at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, Ethel and Art settled into their first home as newlyweds in Paterson. They lived there for many years where they were blessed to raise their three children. Over the course of her life, Ethel also lived in Passaic, Clifton, West Paterson, and Wayne. She was an awesome wife and mother who showered her family with the love and adoration that just overflowed out of her heart. She was a problem solver and the one everybody in the family consulted when advice was needed. Her son Art, Jr. “Champ” credits his mother for being the force in his life that kept him from quitting school. In fact, on the night of Art’s high school graduation, his mother happened to be in the hospital. Art went right from school after the ceremony, directly to the hospital, still in his cap and gown, to visit his mom and thank her personally for her great influence in his life.

Ethel may not have completely finished high school but she was extremely smart and resourceful. She loved to sharpen her mind by reading and doing the daily crossword puzzle in the New York Times, and no one could solve a Rubik’s cube faster than her. Ethel also enjoyed putting her reflections on paper in poetic form for various life events like births, graduations, marriages, and loved ones passing from this life.

Ethel maintained an unwritten and welcoming open door policy in her home in which her kids were always encouraged to feel free to bring their friends home. When those friends came, you could count on it that they’d be offered a slice of Ethel’s delicious chocolate cake with her signature chocolate icing. She always had one of those cakes ready to go to make a guest feel warmly welcomed. In fact, cooking and baking were two of Ethel’s favorite pastimes. She learned much about great Italian cooking from her mother-in-law and family favorites included her delicious Italian meatballs, stuffed loin of pork, pasta fagioli, potato salad and macaroni salad. She always made much more than her family could eat but this was on purpose as she loved to share her culinary creations with extended family and friends. So Ethel would make the food and her husband Art would be her delivery man. She loved blessing others and her mother was so grateful to Ethel for always making big cakes for her church’s functions at Passaic Baptist Church.  

Ethel’s skills were not just limited to the kitchen. She was also an excellent seamstress who sewed or knitted almost all of the clothing for herself and all of her family, even extended family. She did it well and she could do it fast! Once, she sewed a dress for herself, by hand, the night before a funeral that she needed to attend. Ethel taste in fine clothing was expensive. On one hand, she couldn’t afford to buy what she liked, but she certainly could have it anyway, because she could make it herself. She held to high standards for doing a quality job. Consequently, if you received an outfit from Ethel, you could count on it lasting for years to come. To this day, anytime a family member puts on something made by Ethel, it just feels like she has her arms around them. Wherever she went, she would receive compliments for her unique, beautiful creations. Needless to say, she was well-known at the fabric stores. It seemed like the sewing machine was always running in the Cavaliere house. All of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren were the loved recipients of new baby outfits and blankets upon the occasion of their births, and coats, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens as they got older.

By being a living example of love, Ethel was the glue that held her family firmly together. She was the kindest, most peace-loving person you will ever find. She lived by the mantra of “Always do the right thing” and she never hesitated to step up to help anyone in need.    

Ethel was the beloved wife of Arthur, Sr., who passed away on August 8, 1997. She was the most loving mother of Arthur Cavaliere, Jr. “Champ” of Wayne, Dorothy and husband Kevin Dowling of Butler, and Holly and husband Kenneth Bossart of Sparta; Adored grandmother of: Jennifer and husband Craig Torres of Flemington, Sita and husband Kenneth Goss of Byram, Dana Raczynski of Wharton, and Ramsey Raczynski and wife Dina Valente of Alexandria, VA, Amy and husband Gerry Dowd of Ireland, Tara and husband Matt Davis of Hickory, NC, and Stephanie Bossart of Mount Arlington; cherished great-grandmother of Justin, Brian, and Ava Torres, Jaxson and Sierra Goss, Dylan Dowd, and Jonah, Mark, and Luke Davis; and dear sister of Dorothy Hole of Clifton, the late Eleanor Latronico, the late Edward Mascuch Jr., the late Richard (Dick) Mascuch, and the late Dudley (Billy) Mascuch; and beloved daughter of the late Bessie and Edward Mascuch Sr.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Ethel’s name are asked to consider National Processing Center, Alzheimer’s Association, Greater NJ Chapter PO Box 96011 Washington DC 20090.You may also donate online at alz.org.

Patricia Ann Irwin, 88, of Fairfield, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 5, 2020.  

Patricia was born on August 9, 1931 to Neva and James White in Newark, New Jersey.

Patricia met and married the love of her life, Richard J. Irwin and went on to have 3 children, David, Lauren and Mark.  

Patricia dedicated her life to being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. Her husband, children and grandchildren were Patricia’s passion and delight.

Patricia enjoyed offering her love and support to the lives of others.  She filled us all with her warmth and kindness.  

Patricia was predeceased by her loving husband; Richard. She is survived by her three children; David, Lauren and Mark; three grandchildren; Cole, 20; Jade, 16; and Dylan, 6 along with a number of other and close family friends.    

The family wishes to express their warmest gratitude for all the kind thoughts and prayers extended to them during this time.  Patricia’s presence will be missed dearly.  The family takes comfort in knowing that she touched the lives of so many.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Patricia's name may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. http://www.stjude.org

Olga Kuruc, age 91, a fifty-eight year resident of Wayne, passed away Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

She was born to Michael and Anastasia Ratuszny in New York City where Olga’s father served as a building superintendent.  When Olga was a young girl the family moved to 121 Lincoln Avenue in Garfield. Olga graduated from Garfield High School with the Class of 1946.  Before she graduated high school she received a call from the First National Bank in Garfield telling her she had a job as a teller. She worked her way up to Head Saving’s Teller and was a graduate of the American Institute of Banking in Hackensack.

As a young lady Olga attended a dance with a date and met eyes with Paul Kuruc who also was with a date. Paul was trying to learn the English language and thought Olga looked very Americanized and too sophisticated to be interested in him. What Paul didn’t realize is Olga pointed out Paul to her girlfriend and said “see that guy over there…that’s the guy I’m going to marry.”  Olga’s friend laughed and said you don’t even know that guy to which Olga replied there’s no ring on his finger so he’s fair game.  Well a short time later they saw each other at another dance and Paul, feeling more confident in his command of the English language, worked up the nerve to talk to her.  They really hit it off when Paul realized Olga spoke English and Ukrainian which was close enough in dialect to his Slovak language that they could understand each other. They soon fell in love, went to New York City together to choose a diamond ring, and married on September 12, 1953 at Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Passaic.  Olga and Paul honeymooned in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and had a loving and devoted marriage of forty-five years that was blessed with two children, before Paul’s passing in 1998.

Olga will be lovingly remembered as a loving, sweet, caring, kind and generous person.  She was an awesome cook and the special ingredient of love she cooked into her stuffed cabbage, green peppers, and chicken soup will be dearly missed. She loved watching Wheel of Fortune, General Hospital, and most of all she enjoyed Jeopardy because Alex Trebec - as she would tell everyone - was Ukrainian.  Olga was also a dog lover and over the years she had three German Shepherds Bullet, Libra and Sacha.

Olga was the loving wife of forty-five years to the late Paul Kuruc (1998); loving mother of Lois Mary Sharkey and her husband Christopher of Wayne, and Paul Michael Kuruc and his wife Lisa of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Paul and Ava Kuruc; loved sister of the late Stephanie Popovich (d.1979); dearly loved aunt of Donna Quinn and her husband Danny, Bill Popovich and his wife Gerri, Alan Popovich and his wife Sharon; she was also the much loved great-aunt of Ryan and Deanna Quinn, Michael, Tonirenee, Stephanie, and Samantha Popovich.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 217 President Street, Passaic, NJ 07055 would be appreciated.

Edythe J. Wagner (nee Adams), age 89, of Wayne passed away on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Edythe was born and raised in Kearny, NJ and was the youngest of five children to Frank and Harriet Adams.  Edythe attended Kearny High School and graduated with the class of 1948.  While in high school, Edythe met a young fellow student by the name of James Wagner.  After she laid eyes on Jim, she never looked back.  The high school sweethearts dated for a few years and were married in 1950 not very long after their graduation.

Shortly after getting married, James received the call to serve his country in the United States Army.  Jim was shipped overseas to participate in the Korean Conflict.  While he was gone, Edythe moved in with her sister Harriet and brother-in-law Edmund in Bloomfield.  When James was honorably discharged and returned home from the war, the couple settled in Wayne.  After moving to Wayne Edythe and James welcomed their two sons Craig and Bill.  The couple raised their family in Wayne and remained there for the rest of their lives.  Edythe and James cherished an amazing sixty-seven years of loving and loyal marriage together until James’ passing in 2018.

Subsequent to graduating high school, Edythe found work quickly as a “Runner” at a bank in New York City.  She only worked there for about a year when she was offered a position as a secretary at Hoffman La Roche in Nutley.  While she was working for Hoffman La Roche, Edythe married James and then decided that she would devote herself to her family and become a homemaker.  Edythe remained a homemaker for many years until her children became teenagers. Edythe decided then that she would get herself back into the workplace.  Again, it wasn’t long until Edythe was offered another position as a secretary at American Cyanamid in Wayne.  Edythe was employed at American Cyanamid for many years until her retirement in 1990.

Throughout her life, Edythe had a strong faith in God and attended many different churches and denominations all over the Wayne area.  Edythe was quite a talented person and belonged to a Ceramic Club and a Wood Carving Club both located in Wayne.  There Edythe made close friends whom she cherished and loved to spend time with.  She was an avid reader of novels, one of her favorite authors being Catherine Cookson.  Edythe was thrilled that she was successful in passing on her love of reading to her son Bill who also loves to read.  Edythe was outgoing, she loved to talk to people and make friends wherever she went.  Edythe treasured summering throughout many different areas at the Jersey Shore with her siblings and her own family.  Her sister Harriet and her brother-in-law Ed would often accompany them there and to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.  Aside from all of Edythe’s talents, hobbies and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Edythe than providing for and spending time with her family.  She was a truly devoted mother and grandmother.  Edythe hardly ever missed her granddaughters’ dance recitals.  Edythe was a very special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Edythe is survived by her two sons; Bill Wagner and his significant other Nancy Nolan of Pompton Lakes, and Craig Wagner and his wife Jeanne of Haddonfield, two grandchildren; Julie Wagner of New York City and Amy Wagner of Haddonfield, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her three sisters; Ruth Fladderer, Mary Jane Fish, and Harriet Kolano, and her one brother Frank Adams, Jr.  

In lieu of flowers, donations in Edythe’s name may be made to The Salvation Army, New Jersey Division P.O. Box 3170 Union, NJ 07083. https://give.salvationarmyusa.org

Andrew Daniel John, age 12, of Lake Hopatcong, NJ, passed away on Monday, February 3rd, 2020 with the comfort of family by his side. He is at peace with the Lord.

He was born in Mineola, Long Island, NY on August 2nd, 2007 and has lived in Lake Hopatcong for the past nine years.

Andrew was a loving, caring child despite living with numerous challenges. Andrew enjoyed being surrounded by family and truly loved everything to do with Christmas, especially all the holiday movies like A Christmas Story and Home Alone.

He was the loving son of Beena and Stanley John; the cherished grandson of Daniel Geevarghese and Mariamma Daniel of Florida and Daniel and Saramma John also of Florida. He was the beloved brother of Amelia and Aaron John, dearly loved nephew of Binoy Daniel and his wife Danette, Betsy George and her husband Ullas, and Stacy Joy and her husband Joemon; he was the dearly loved cousin of Anjali and Nikhil Daniel, Lucas and Nicholas George, and Hannah, Sarah, and Isabella Joy.

Ruth Mastrogiovanni (nee Gremmler), age 90, of Leesburg, Florida and Wayne, New Jersey and formerly of the Poconos, Fair Lawn and Paterson, passed away on Sunday, February 2, 2020.

Ruth was born and raised in the Riverside Section of Paterson where she attended Paterson’s School 21 and Eastside High School.

In the neighborhood where Ruth grew up, she met and fell in love with Edward Mastrogiovanni. Ed and Ruth exchanged their vows on Sunday, February 23, 1947 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Church in Paterson.

After a honeymoon in Niagara Falls, Ruth and Ed began a cherished life as husband and wife in their first home together, an apartment in Paterson. Ruth was just eighteen years old at this point in her life. One year later, she and Ed welcomed their first child – a baby girl they named Sheryl. Three years after that, their second daughter, Linda, was born.  Ruth was an amazing mother who poured all her love into raising Sheryl and Linda while also working as a seamstress for many years in Paterson textile mills, which were so prevalent during that era. When her daughters were grown, she worked for a time at Dial-A-Phone Answering Service in Ridgewood.  Sadly, in 1974, their Linda died; there is no greater tragedy in life than this loss.

After years of living in Paterson, Ruth and Ed moved to Fair Lawn where they remained until retiring to homes in Tannersville in the Poconos and Leesburg, Florida.  Eventually the Poconos home was sold and Ruth and Ed spent summers with Sheryl and the family in Wayne.

Ruth and Ed were blessed with many wonderful retirement years. In addition to their close friends at home in New Jersey, they developed new friendships in both the Poconos and Florida; they enjoyed vacations to various destinations such as Hawaii, Alaska, and Europe, and doing all kinds of things including going out for frequent dinners. Ruth loved to play Majong and cards and maintained an active lifestyle by taking walks and riding her three-wheeler bike in Florida while Ed enjoyed visiting the Carpenter Shop to spend time with friends.

Above all else, Ruth’s greatest joy and satisfaction came from quality time spent with her family. She adored them and the feeling was mutual. Utilizing her amazing seamstress skills, when her own daughters were growing up, Ruth made all of their clothing as well as her own, including dresses, prom gowns, and coats. Everything she made was done with patience and perfection. When the blessing of grandchildren and great-grandchildren filled her life, she blessed them all right back by handcrafting knitted, crocheted or sewn baby blankets, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens. It was also the intangibles of Ruth’s life that touched her family’s hearts, like her patient, pleasant and calm spirit.

Ruth was the most beloved and devoted wife of Edward, blessed in marriage for 71 years until his passing in 2018. She was the dearly loved mother of Sheryl and husband Richard P. Centrelli of Wayne, and the late Linda Mastrogiovanni-Breitstein who passed away in 1974; adored grandmother of Lynn McTeague and husband George, and Kristy Fernand; cherished great-grandmother of Isabella Fernand, Ryan McTeague, Alexandra Fernand, and Connor McTeague; dear sister of the late Edith Bariou; and loved aunt of numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.          

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Ruth Mastrogiovanni’s memory to support MSK.  Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Office of Development

Attn: (Elliott Pollock)

PO Box 27106

New York, NY 10087

Clare N. Ramaglia (nee Johnstone), 89, of West Milford, died on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.  She had been an Underwriter for State Farm Insurance from 1972-1992 and volunteered at Shore Medical Center from 1994-2018.

Clare grew up in Passaic and graduated from Pope Pius XII High School in 1948.  She began working at the Clifton Public Library, where she first met Emil John “Biggy” Ramaglia.  Biggy came to the library frequently, always checking out books and chatting with Clare, who later learned that Biggy had little interest in reading… he just needed an excuse to talk with her. Their relationship soon blossomed and they were married on November 5, 1949 at St. Nicholas Church in Passaic.  They enjoyed a brief honeymoon at a posh New York City hotel before settling down, spending most of their married life together in Wayne, NJ.  They had a wonderful marriage and Clare doted on her beloved husband.  She was a traditional wife in every way, happily caring for their home and family, and always cooking exceptional meals.  Clare and Biggy took excellent care of each other and loved each other very much during the sixty-three years that they were married.  They enjoyed summer vacations at Lavallette with their children and family for many years, visited the Catskills often, took bus trips to Nova Scotia, and celebrated a multitude of happy times together.  Clare was heartbroken to lose Biggy in 2012, but she remained stoically resilient and persevered in the years following.  They had moved to Ocean City, NJ in 1993, where Clare continued to live until she eventually relocated to West Milford in 2019.

Clare is survived by her five children: Christine Colabelli of Pompton Lakes, Susan McCrostie and her husband Glenn of Mt. Tabor, NJ, James Ramaglia of Ocean City, NJ, Paul Ramaglia of W. Milford, NJ, and John Ramaglia and his wife Debbi of Woodstock, GA; seven grandchildren: Anthony Colabelli and his wife Christine, Matthew Colabelli and his wife Jamie, Jesse McCrostie and his wife Jeanna, Janice McCrostie, Gina McCrostie, Nicholas Ramaglia, and Jenna Ramaglia; four great-grandchildren: Anthony, Scarlett, Layah, and Levi; and one sister: Florence Pallarino and her husband Mike of Chatham.  Clare was predeceased by her husband, Emil John in 2012, and by her sister Elizabeth “Betty” Spaldo in 2016.

In lieu of flowers the family would suggest a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Mary Lyle Freeman (nee Parsons), age 89, of Wayne passed away peacefully at her home in Cedar Crest Village on Friday January 31, 2020 while in the presence of her loving family.

Mary was born and raised in Silver Spring MD, just outside of Washington DC.  She was one of four children to Douglas and Lyle Parsons. After graduating from high school with the class of 1947, Mary was accepted and attended Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia.  After some time at Davis & Elkins, Mary’s parents convinced her to leave college and attend secretarial school.  

While at Davis & Elkins, Mary’s sister introduced her to a handsome young man by the name of George Freeman.  The couple attended a fraternity dance on their first date and hit it off great. Mary and George dated for a time and as fate would have it, they fell in love and were married in November of 1950.  

George and Mary settled in Washington DC, spending about two years there until they needed to relocate to Boulder, CO for George’s employment with the US government.  While living in Boulder the couple welcomed their first child. Unfortunately, George's employment took him somewhere far off and Mary moved back to Maryland with her parents for a short time.  When George arrived back in Washington DC after a short time, the couple welcomed their second child.  The couple then moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where they welcomed their next two children. George and Mary raised their family in Packanack Lake and remained in Wayne for the next fifty years until moving to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains in 2010.      

Immediately after getting married Mary devoted herself to being a homemaker, caring for and nurturing her family.  In 1975, Mary decided to get back into the workplace. Mary was offered a position as a clerk at the Wayne Police Department.  She worked there for the next ten years until her retirement in 1985.  

Mary was an active member of the Packanack Lake community.  She was a member of the Packanack Lake Golf Club for many years.  She also enjoyed playing Bridge with the ladies in her neighborhood and bowled in the women’s bowling league in Wayne as well.  Mary and her family were members of the Packanack Lake Community Church for many years. Mary was also an avid gardener, growing an assortment of flowers and tomatoes in her yard throughout the years.  Her family also remembers their yearly vacations to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland where they treasured family reunions. She was fun loving, social and had an infectious smile. Everyone that knew Mary loved being around her.   Mary was a very special person who touched the lives of many people, she will be missed by everyone that knew her.

Mary is survived by her husband George Freeman of Wayne, three sons Dan Freeman and his wife Almeda of Pequannock, Richard Freeman and his wife Linda of Swartswood, NJ, and Brad Freeman and his wife Diane of Whitehouse Station, NJ, one daughter Joyce Lorusso and her husband Phil of Pompton Lakes, eight grandchildren; Dawn McDonough, Danielle Wallin, Reese Freeman, Lyle Freeman, George Lorusso, Maddie Freeman, Nikki Freeman, and Sammy Freeman, and four great grandchildren; Brenda McDonough, Colleen McDonough, Maggie Wallin, and Ryan Wallin.  Mary was predeceased by her two brothers Bill Parsons and Bob Parsons, and her sister Margie Brinckman.

Those planing to make donations in Mary’s name are asked to consider the Wayne Animal Shelter, 201 Pompton Plains Crossroad, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Frances M. Ianuale (nee Pettrizzie), age 88 of Wayne, died peacefully with family and friends at her side on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.  She has lived in Wayne since 1964.

Fran was born at home in North Arlington, NJ in 1931.  She was raised in Union City, NJ, the fifth child born into a family of six children, and was rather close with her sister Agnes.  Fran, or “Dolly” as she was known during her childhood, was just two years younger than Agnes, and they enjoyed a feisty and sometimes contentious relationship, as two sisters often do.

Agnes was her devilish confidant and seemed to gain a bit of pleasure getting little Dolly in trouble. Surely her childhood experiences contributed to developing her independent, “spitfire” personality that she was so well known for.

After Fran graduated from Emerson High School with the class of 1950, she took her first job as a secretary with Palm, Fechteler & Co. in Weehawken, NJ.  It was here that she met her husband, Gaitano.  They were married on May 2, 1954 at St. Anthony’s Church in Union City and they honeymooned in the Poconos.  They first lived on Hudson Ave. in West New York before moving to Union City and then to Wayne in 1964. They both enjoyed traveling extensively including Italy, Hawaii, Bermuda, the Caribbean Islands and, of course, the annual family vacations to Wildwood Crest at the Jersey shore.

Taking care of her family was her first priority, and she took exceptional pride in maintaining her landscaping and home.  She was a bit of a neat-freak and could always be seen out on beautiful days manicuring the grounds - she was in her element. She was also very involved raising her three children, serving as a Cub Scout Den Mother and she also was a Parishioner and taught CCD at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.  She also worked at Joseph Markovitz, Inc. and MGM Transport Corp., both in Totowa. Fran made some wonderful, lifelong friends when she moved to Wayne where they proceeded to raise their families and share their lives together over the decades.  A small close knit group remained for 50+ years where they took frequent walks together reminiscing in "the neighborhood".  Coincidentally, her dear friend, Frances West, from across the street passed away just two weeks ago, but they were able to see each other recently and spend some quality time together.

Fran is survived by her three children; Steven of Wayne, Michael and his wife Laura of Southwest Florida, and Marissa Sabia and her husband Carmine of Wayne, four grandchildren; Nicole Ianuale and Paulo Almeida of Harrison, NJ, Mark Ianuale and his wife Jacqueline of Franklin, NJ, Cory Ianuale of Wayne, and Francesca Sabia of Wayne, one great-grandson; Marcelo, her dear sister; Johanna Pettrizzie of Wayne and nephew; Robert Spada, of Toms River.  Fran was predeceased by her beloved husband Gaitano in 1996, and by four of her siblings; Madeline, Marie, Agnes and John.

Charles G. Mougalian, age 86, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 28, 2020.

Charlie was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and was the youngest of three sons to George and Varteni Mougalian.  Growing up, he spent a lot of his time playing handball and stoop ball on the streets of Brooklyn while also boxing at the Boys' Club and playing basketball in his church league.  Following his graduation from Erasmus Hall High School in 1951, he pursued a business degree from New York University, from which he graduated in 1955.  He then served in the U.S. Army as a Special 3rd Class Combat Engineer where he earned the U.S. Army Sharpshooter Badge.

After completing his military service, Charlie entered the business world where he spent the next 36 years working in the purchasing and procurement departments of Colgate-Palmolive, American Cyanamid, Shulton, and Procter & Gamble before retiring in 1993.

When he was 17 years old, he met his beloved wife, Lois, at a "Hi-Y" dance sponsored by the Flatbush YMCA.  They  were married seven years later on October 25, 1958.  Lois and Charlie soon started a family and made their home in Wayne, NJ where they lived for the next 56 years.  They joined the United Methodist Church in Wayne where Charlie held various volunteer positions as an active church member.

Charlie loved sports, woodworking, and barbecuing.  He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and his greatest joy was spending time with his family. He touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Charlie is survived by his wife Lois Mougalian (nee Tyndall) of Wayne, his daughter Lori Ingerman and son-in-law David, his son Chuck Mougalian and daughter-in-law Linda, and his son Gary Mougalian and daughter-in-law Nancy.  He also is survived by his eight grandchildren -- Alex, Dylan, Eric, Evan, Grace, Alexis, Madison, and Bailey, who were the source of his greatest joy.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlie’s name may be made to the United Methodist Church, 99 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Matthew Dox, Sr., age 67, a forty-five year resident of Wayne, passed suddenly on Monday, January 27, 2020 with the comfort of his family by his side.

He was born in Paterson to Matthew and Margaret Dox and raised on Marion Street in Paterson. Matt was a football player and graduated from Paterson Catholic High School with the Class of 1970.  He continued his education at Seton Hall University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting with the Class of 1974.

Matt’s work history includes being a bus boy at Perkins Pancake House on Route 46, being a deli counter person at the A&P food store in Fair Lawn, and after college he found work as an accountant at Saint Josephs Hospital in Paterson.  One of Matt’s duties, as an accountant, was being picked up by the Paterson Police to bring the hospital’s deposit to the bank. This casual encounter with the police, and the fact that Matt hated being an accountant, led him to pursue a career in law enforcement. Matt saw a recruitment advertisement in the newspaper from the Wayne Police Department and was soon taking the test.  His career with the Wayne Police spanned over thirty years having started as a Patrolman and working his way up through the ranks to Detective and then to Detective Sergeant before retiring in 2010. During his years with the Wayne Police he served as President of the Wayne P.B.A. Local 136.

During Matt’s years as an accountant at Saint Josephs Hospital he met a beautiful girl named Patricia “Patty” Rolleri at a hospital dinner.  Matt and Patty really hit it off and he took her to one of his favorite hamburger places on their first date.  In typical Matt fashion he proposed marriage, sometime close to Valentines Day, while in the basement of his parents’ home watching a hockey game. Patty and Matt married on October 8, 1977 and had their reception in the Emerald Room at the Wayne Manor.  They honeymooned at Negril Beach in Jamaica, where much to Matt’s…surprise??... the hotel just happened to be by a clothing optional beach.  Matt and Patty have enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage, filled with love and laughter, for forty-two years.

Those who know Matt will remember him as a sincere, caring, nice guy.  He loved sports and was a dedicated NY Giants and NY Mets fan. For many years he enjoyed playing in the PBA Softball League, playing touch football for the Wyckoff Jets, and in his later years he enjoyed golfing.  He loved a good joke, enjoyed self-deprecating humor, often had a sarcastic comment, was forever a schmoozer, hated phony people, and was one of the most easy-going people you would ever meet. Most of all he will be remembered as a great family man.  His children have many fond and loving memories including annual trips to Long Beach Island in the summer where they would go crabbing, mini-golfing, and to the water park. He was incredibly proud of his children and his granddaughter Addie.

Matt was the loving husband of Patricia (Rolleri) Dox, the devoted father of Matthew Dox and his wife Jennifer of Pompton Lakes and Meghan Sims and her husband Ryan of Medford; he was the cherished grandfather of Addie Sims; the dearly loved son of Matthew and Margaret Dox of Wayne; devoted brother of Michael Dox and his wife Linda of Bloomfield; loving brother-in-law to Dr. Robert and Norma Jean Falcone and well as Robert and Gail Rolleri; loved uncle to Stephanie, Michelle, Melissa, Lucas, Rachel, Katie, and Michael.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the NJ Special Olympics or the National Alopecia Areata Foundation would be greatly appreciated.

http://sthuberts.org

Jacqueline Ruth Crane, age 76, of Wayne, passed away on Sunday, January 26, 2020.

Jackie, as she was affectionately known, was born in Jersey City, NJ. Being the daughter of an Army father, she moved around a bit as a child and spent her formative years in places including Iceland and California, ultimately settling back in New Jersey where she was on the drill team and the volleyball team at Jonathan Dayton High School, graduating with the class of 1960.

It was soon after high school that Jackie met Roger Crane, a businessman who worked around the corner from Stanley’s Restaurant in Springfield. Jackie worked  there as a waitress and while the food was great, once Roger met Jackie, she became his greatest incentive for frequenting the local eatery. When he finally worked up the courage to ask her out, Jackie and Roger’s first date was at a different restaurant, called The Shortstop – a hamburger stop in Belleville. It didn’t take long for the two of them to fall in love, and they were soon after married in the spring of 1963 on Friday, May 18th at the Grand Summit Hotel in Summit, NJ.

The newlyweds’ first home together was an apartment in New Providence where ten months later, they welcomed a baby boy named David. Soon after, Jackie and Roger moved to a house in Rockaway, NJ and two more baby boy blessings arrived, Richard “Rick” and Edward “Ted.” During her sons’ childhood years, Jackie embraced her role as homemaker, loving wife and mother. With house moves in 1974 to Benson Drive in Wayne and in 2005 to the Ridge Rise Complex in Wayne, Jackie made her homes into welcoming places where friends and family always enjoyed gathering. She was truly devoted to her boys and Jackie caringly poured herself into their lives. Her son Dave took a real interest in tennis, while son Rick enjoyed playing basketball and Ted displayed enthusiasm for music and skiing. Consequently, Jackie gladly and sometimes dutifully attended a lot of tennis matches, basketball games, music lessons and spent many days sitting in ski lodges so that all three of her son’s interests could be better developed.

Jackie was equally devoted to her husband Roger. When Dave, Rick and Ted were old enough to take on some independence, Jackie turned her attention more toward Roger’s business venture, which together they called Patriot Printing. Jackie’s entrepreneurial skills and spirit became indispensable to the success of the business. While Roger concentrated on accumulating customers, including but not limited to, the American Red Cross and the Archdiocese of Newark, Jackie wore many hats, such as graphic designer, production manager, logistical leader and bookkeeper. The boys were involved too, to some degree, and developed valuable work skills along the way.

In every facet of life, Jackie and Roger had a mutual respect and admiration for one another and enjoyed infusing lots of good natured fun into their marriage. They loved playing chess and cards together and there was always a puzzle being assembled on the kitchen table. In fact, almost every game they played turned into a friendly competition - even with puzzles - and they were both very skilled at putting puzzles together! They would set a timer for an hour to see who could put together a 500 piece puzzle first. When they had less time, they’d just pick puzzles with less pieces. Every pursuit in life, from the grand to the mundane, always included an element of mind sharpening. For example, gathering together around the table for dinner was just as much about choosing a topic of debate or quizzing each other on naming all the U.S. presidents one night or naming all the countries in South America the next night. It always made dinner time interesting and enjoyable.

When her boys were growing up, there was no one who could plan a vacation with such thoughtfulness and strategy like Jackie. So, since Dave liked tennis, and Rick liked pools with diving boards and Ted liked game rooms, Jackie made sure to plan a vacation where all three boys had access to what they liked the most. Each day of vacation was planned with efficient precision, starting off with breakfast, followed by a morning visit to a historical site or some other teachable activity, then free time for whatever her sons wanted to do. Vacations were always traveled by car, and favorite destinations included Disney, Myrtle Beach, the Outer Banks - basically all of the east coast! And of course, the Jersey Shore, including a beach house they owned at L.B.I. from 1984 to 1998. Many family memories were made there and nothing made Jackie happier than having her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren present.

Jackie simply adored her six grandchildren and by all accounts, the feeling was mutual. She took a keen interest in each one of them, oftentimes seeming to unconsciously ignore the adults because she was so focused and interested in what was going on in her grandchildren’s lives. She treated them like her own sons, never wanting to miss any of their games or other accomplishments. Even when she got older and mobility proved to be more difficult, she and Roger would park as close to the game as possible to get a view of the action.

Jackie had plenty of love to go around for her friends too. She and her girlfriend, Gail, maintained a long-standing tradition for over forty years of getting together every Tuesday afternoon for lunch together at Aldo’s or the Village Inn in Wayne. Having gone through every phase of life together, they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. She always kept in touch with her cherished friends, including her dear friend Sandy.

Her adoration for animals was equal to her love for humans, especially her faithful blonde lab named Sam. He was like their fourth child who came into Jackie and Roger’s life to dote upon just as her sons were entering that season of life where they were getting married or moving into places of their own. Of course, her sons and daughters-in-law were always welcomed back home, especially when they brought their own dogs, which Jackie affectionately referred to as her grand dogs. Her dog Sam was a symbol of Jackie’s love and concern for all of God’s creatures. He suffered from anxiety, so when Jackie and Roger would go out, they always parked the car where Sam could see them to keep him calm. Sam was rescued from an animal shelter and any organization that looked out for the welfare of animals was an organization Jackie would support.

Jackie leaves behind wonderful memories and a lasting legacy as an adoring wife and most loving mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. She epitomized selflessness, always caring about others more than herself. She was thoughtful, resourceful and generous. Well-learned, she loved to read books of all genres, watch classic movies, attend Broadway shows, and keep up with the latest in current affairs as well as pop-culture. Consequently, she was very funny and very interesting to spend time with. Her family and friends give thanks for her loving presence and influence in their lives.

Jackie was the beloved wife of Roger, blessed in marriage for 56 years. She was the very loving mother of: Dave and wife Patricia Crane of Glen Rock, Rick and wife Joy Crane of Summit, and Ted Crane of Fort Myers, FL; and cherished grandmother of: Alex, Trevor, Shaun, Nicole, Andrew and Ella.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jackie’s name are asked to consider St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, P.O. Box 159, 575 Woodland Ave. Madison, NJ 07940. You may also donate online at sthuberts.org

Mario A. Gentile, age 95, of Pompton Plains and a former long-time resident of Wayne, passed away with loving family by his side, on Saturday, January 25, 2020.

Mario was the first born child of Italian immigrants, Thomas and Christine Gentile. He was born at home in 1924 in their second floor apartment above a grocery store owned by his father in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, Class of 1942

After what can be called a “spirited” childhood he would make some money by charging a few cents for rides in a horse drawn cart starting his path to entrepreneurship.

Mario met the love of his life, Marie Cannizzaro, along the bicycle trail that runs along Ocean Parkway. Mario and his cousins were “hanging out” on some benches just as Marie rode by on her bicycle with a friend and he was immediately smitten.  He asked Marie out on a date and showed up with flowers in hand. Marie got cold feet and refused to answer the door.  As she peeked out the window she saw Mario throw the flowers he had brought onto the ground and he left. Mario was persistent and they soon fell in love.  Mario and Marie married on April 4, 1948 and had a Football Wedding reception for about 500 of their closest family and friends.  A Football Wedding is where sub sandwiches were actually hurled across the room to the guests.  They honeymooned in Niagara Falls, New York, and enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of sixty-nine years before Marie’s passing in June of 2017.

His first real employment was for the Charlie Mills Electric Company in NYC. This eventually led to starting his own successful electrical contracting business MAGE ELECTRIC ( MArio GEntile) .He ran MAGE for 32 years before selling the business. Mario was very well regarded by his employees, building management companies, city inspectors, building owners, and superintendents.  While in early retirement and due to his expertise and experience, he was hired as a consultant many times, before finally moving into full retirement in 1990.

When writing a story about Mario a few things need to be said. First of all, he was a true gentleman that was thoroughly devoted to his family and business.  He loved playing cards, and never met a Craps table in Atlantic City or Las Vegas he didn’t like (as long as it was paying out).He was proficient at craps and you would frequently see him at the Borgata tables as recently as a few months ago. Mario was a “Crooner”, with a wonderful voice. While attending family weddings, talent shows, nursing homes, and karaoke nights, if there was music and a microphone he was in.  He even booked some recording studio time to preserve his songs for generations to come. At the recording studio they nicknamed him “One Take Mario.”  

Mario was the loving husband of sixty-nine years to Marie (d.6/2017); devoted father of Christine Doran and her husband James of Fort Mills, SC, Thomas Gentile and partner Olga Mehrhoff of Cheshire, CT, Mary Jane Threlfall and her husband Gary of Wayne, Ann Marie Simpson and her husband Don of Wayne, and Salvatore Gentile and his wife Arlene of Wayne; he was the cherished grandfather of Joy Marie, Alicia, Michael, Mario, Thomas, Tara, Danielle, Joseph, Matthew, Deandra, Andrea, and Alexa; he was also the dearly loved great-grandfather of Kyra, Julianna, Eleanor, Amelia, Bethany, Grace, Nathan, and Emma Jane.

In lieu of flowers donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 (stjude.org), or the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601, (alz.org), would be greatly appreciated.

Anna Van Der Heide, age 94, of Wyoming, Michigan, formerly of Haledon, New Jersey, died on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at her home.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Hendrik in November 1997; siblings, Martha Valk, John Valk, William Valk.  She was the loving mother of daughter, Ann Marie Van Der Heide; son, Peter Van Der Heide and his wife Sharon; and loving grandmother of Jennifer and Andrew Rysdam, Steven and Kelly Van Der Heide, Brian and Kelli Van Der Heide; and seven great-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her sister, Hilda Oussoren and her sister-in-law, Alida Valk.

Anna was a faithful member of First Byron Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center and formerly of Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church in Wyckoff, NJ.

Anna was born in America, raised in the Netherlands and returned to America in March 1949 with her husband and settled in Hoboken, NJ.  She resided in New Jersey until 2015 when she moved to Michigan.

Anna was blessed to be a homemaker and took pride in serving others in their homes. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Anna’s memory to Byron Center Christian Schools, 8840 Byron Center Avenue, Byron Center, MI 49315. If you are sending a check, kindly be sure to include a note that your gift is in memory of Anna Van Der Heide.

Please note; a more complete obituary will be posted here soon.  Check back for details.

Jay J. LaRusso, 89 of Wayne, died on Thursday, January 23, 2020.

Jay is survived by his two children; Jay LaRusso of Englewood Cliffs, and Allison Carroll of Dayton, NJ, five grandchildren; Tommy, Kristen, Aidan, Connor, and Delaney, and his companion of nearly forty years; Sharon Patnaude.  He was predeceased by his wife, Alice.

Elena L. Lao, “Ellen”, age 60, of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, January 23, 2020.

Ellen was born in the Philippines in the city of Manila. She was the youngest of four children and she spent her entire up-bringing living in Manila. Her post-high school education took place at the Philippine Women’s University where she earned her B.S.N. degree in Nursing in 1980.

Soon after college, Ellen began working at Philippine General Hospital in Manilla. While there, she was recruited by the Preakness Healthcare Center in Wayne, NJ. Ellen took the opportunity and immigrated to the United States in 1982. It was a decision she would never regret as she went on to enjoy a very fulfilling thirty-two year career at the Preakness Healthcare Center before retiring in 2014. During her years there, she had a great reputation for being a dedicated worker and a compassionate nurse to the patients that she was charged to care for. Following her work there, she worked at the Paterson Board of Health for a year-and-a-half before her own health issues necessitated full retirement.

Ellen was the beloved wife of Venchito Lao who she met one day after work at a restaurant called the Binghamton – a floating restaurant. Though it sounds cliché to say, it truly was “love at first sight.” After dating for about a year, one night at dinner, Venchito asked Ellen if she would be his wife and, much to their mutual delight, Ellen said yes! They exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on Monday, January 13, 1986 at the St. Nicholas Church in Passaic. After a reception at the Jade Fountain in Lyndhurst – all you could eat, Ellen and Venchito jumped in a car and headed down to sunny, warm Orlando Florida for their honeymoon. Their first home together was in an apartment in Paterson where they remained for three years before moving to their present home in Wayne.

In 1993, Ellen and Venchito became the proud parents of a beautiful son, Mark Anthony. They were so excited to welcome Mark into their home and Ellen now split her time between raising her son and working as a Nursing Supervisor at Preakness Healthcare Center. Family was so very important to Ellen and so, while she loved her career, she also loved getting together as frequently as she could with family and friends. Anyone that knew Ellen knew that she was a great cook. It would stand to reason therefore that she loved this pastime of cooking, and her family was thankful to God for Ellen’s work in the kitchen as they were the frequently blessed recipients of her culinary delights. Family favorites included Ellen’s Imbutido, a Filipino stew called Kare, and a noodle dish called Pancit.

Ellen loved all of God’s creatures but she truly had a special place in her heart for her sweet canine friend Pot-Pot, a terrier and Pomeranian mixed pooch that was her faithful friend and companion. Her little furry friend was so fortunate to have such a loving master and so many that knew Ellen were very blessed to have her as a friend. Ellen had a heart of gold. She loved to give back a portion of the blessings that God gave to her and consequently, she was very generous to relatives and friends both with her time, talents and also her treasures. Many were given a great chance to thrive in their lives because of Ellen’s generosity.

It should come as no surprise, knowing what a loving heart Ellen possessed, that Ellen walked closely with God. She was devout in her catholic faith and over the years, was involved in the ministry of several parishes including Our Lady of Consolation Church and Our Lady of the Valley Church, both in Wayne, as well as St. Gerard’s Church in Paterson and St. Clare’s Church in Clifton. Ellen’s life was a true reflection of God’s love, grace, and provision that she experienced in her own life.  

Ellen was the beloved wife of Venchito, blessed in marriage for 34 years. She was the most loving mother of Mark Anthony Lao of Wayne, and dear aunt of numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was predeceased by her one sister and two brothers.

Charles F. Spinella, age 68 of Wayne, died at home on Thursday, January 23, 2020 with his loving family gathered at his bedside.  He had fought a courageous nine-month battle with Leukemia.

Charlie grew up in Paterson and graduated in 1968 from John F. Kennedy high school, the first graduating class from the newest high school in the city of Paterson.  Charlie was especially proud to have graduated high school and started college while he was still just sixteen years old.  He went on to Fairleigh Dickinson College in Teaneck and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 Social Studies.  He started teaching at his alma mater; John F. Kennedy High, and ultimately spent his entire forty-year career at Kennedy.  He taught history for much of his time there, and was Dean of Students for the last twelve years before retiring in 2012.  He truly loved being a teacher, mentoring students, and especially coaching basketball.

Many of Charlie’s students appreciated him for his influence in their lives.  He was inspirational and a talented motivator.  As a basketball coach, he loved watching his players grow and improve their skills, all the while building their own confidence and self-esteem.  He loved the game of basketball, but especially appreciated how his students and players matured through playing the game.  Charlie played basketball himself throughout his entire life.  As a member of the “Boys of Summer” team, he played often with his group of friends, and he loved watching NBA games as well.  Though he had a love for basketball, his family was always his top priority.

Charlie was madly in love with his wife, Linda (nee Zangrilli), and they were truly devoted to one another.  They met at a diabetes fundraiser clam bake in October of 1978. Their romance moved quickly and they were soon engaged to be married.  They wed on November 25, 1979, just one year after meeting.  Even though he couldn’t wait to tie the knot, their big day was scheduled to work around basketball season!  They enjoyed a Bahamas honeymoon before moving to Clifton and eventually settling in Wayne in 1986.  They shared dreams, they shared goals, and they shared a very special love for over forty years.  They had a fun marriage and were very affectionate, despite any obstacles life threw at them.

Charlie and Linda’s home was always warm and inviting. Charlie cared for the landscaping, grew a garden with fruits and vegetables, and took impeccable care of everything outside. He treasured not only taking care of his house, but creating a home that brought the family together. Charlie and Linda raised three children and Charlie was their “#1 fan.” He had a special and unique bond with each of his children, and his greatest sense of pride and accomplishment came from watching them become successful. Charlie loved his family more than anything, and they will all miss him dearly.

Charlie is survived by his beloved wife Linda of Wayne, their three children; Lynette Spinella and her partner Daniel Jensen of Butler, Lauren Spinella and her husband Christopher D’Amico of Bloomingdale, and Joseph Spinella and his wife Ashley of Florida.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

Maria Mayer, age 88 of Wayne died peacefully on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.  She had formerly lived in North Haledon before moving to Wayne in 1999.

Maria was born in Marko, Hungary and her childhood was largely shaped by the events of World War II.  After the war had ended, Hungary was under oppressive Soviet control and at just seventeen years old, Maria went seeking a better life.  Along with her family, she escaped under cover of darkness into Eastern Germany and then to Western Germany where they had family to stay with.  She wanted to go to America, but the immigration quotas had been reached and she was denied.  While most of her family chose to remain in Germany, her older brother, George, emigrated to Australia.  However, Maria waited patiently for passage to the United States. In 1956, at twenty-five years old, she boarded a ship alone and sailed to New York City.  She settled in Union, NJ with her aunt and uncle, quickly finding work in a drapery shop.

Maria was very talented at making draperies and custom upholstery.  Upon arriving in America, she went to a drapery shop for an interview and was quickly hired.  She was so incredibly talented that within two weeks of taking the job, they promoted her to forewoman of the shop!  In 1970, just fourteen years after coming to America, she took a leap of faith and opened her own business!  This was nothing less than a true realization of the American dream for her and “Maykin’s Custom Draperies and Slip Covers” was opened in Prospect Park. She operated her business for nearly eighteen years before retiring.  Her beautiful handiwork has adorned many homes throughout the area.  Becoming a grandmother was her motivation to retire, and she poured her heart into her grandchildren.  She loved to cook with them and share her incredible baking skills.  She was an “outrageous baker” and worked real magic in her kitchen.  Her traditional Hungarian fare was to die for, especially her Chicken Paprikash, Palacinka, Zwetschgenknodel and Kipfel!!  

When Maria first arrived in New Jersey, she used to go to Hungarian social dances, which were common in the area.  At one such dance in Manhattan, she met Anthony Mayer who happened to be a fantastic dancer.  They had a great time that night, and a romance ensued.  Before long, Anthony proposed and they were married on October 10, 1959 at St. Boniface RC Church in Paterson.  Their honeymoon lasted just one day and they both returned to work on Monday, October 12!  The two of them shared a loving marriage that Anthony describes as “the best!” Maria was a devoted wife and homemaker, managing just about everything.  They were both very hard working and built a wonderful life together.  They traveled back to Europe at least once every two years, visiting family in Germany and Hungary.  They even went to Australia to see her brother.  Her favorite destination of all was “home,” close to her family and loved ones.  After more than sixty years of marriage, Anthony will surely miss her dearly, as will her loving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Maria is survived by her devoted husband Anthony of Wayne, two children;  Anton Mayer and his wife Jeanie of Cedar Grove, and Christina Strang-Wolf and her husband Peter of Cedar Grove,  six grandchildren; Gioiella Belasco and her husband Anthony of Little Falls, Anton Mayer and his wife Nicole of Hoboken, Max Strang-Wolf and his fiancee Jordyn of Hoboken, Nick Strang-Wolf and his wife Shaina of Dumont, Alexia Strang-Wolf of Cedar Grove, and Frank Mayer and his wife Natalie of Hoboken, four great-grandchildren; Maxemilia, Anton, Michelina, and Anthony, and two brothers; George Brenner of Australia and Hans Brenner of Germany.

Frances Bernadette West (nee McNicholl), age 85 of Wayne, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday January 17, 2020.

Frances was born on February 11, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York and was one of five children to John and Ellen McNicholl.  When Frances was a young girl, she and her family returned to Ireland for a time, returning to the United States after the Second World War.

After meeting Arthur West of the Bronx, NY, at a dance, the young couple married on November 16, 1957. They began their married life in Metuchen, NJ, and then moved to Little Falls where they welcomed their first child, Kevin. In the mid-1960’s, they moved to Wayne, where they then also raised their next two children, Darren and Janine, remaining there for the rest of their lives. Arthur and Frances enjoyed 47 years of marriage until Arthur’s passing in 2004.

In 1974, Frances was offered a position at the Wayne-based paper manufacturing company, Union Camp. While there, Frances had various secretarial responsibilities until 1982, when she was promoted to Fleet Manager, a position she held for the rest of her career.  Frances worked for Union Camp until her retirement in 1996.

Frances was a devout Catholic who attended church daily at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church and Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wayne. All who knew her would agree that her greatest passions were her faith and her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sibling, aunt and friend, who loved gardening, decorating, and hosting family and friends at her home and pool during summers and holidays.  Her happiest moments included knowing her children and grandchildren were happy, well and loved. She will be remembered lovingly as a wise and understanding person who was kind, inclusive and always made people feel welcome. Her loving heart, intelligence, and warm personality will most certainly live on in her children and grandchildren.

Frances is survived by her two sons, Kevin West of Bushkill, PA, and Darren West and his wife Sharon of Wayne; her daughter, Janine Latz and her husband Glen of Norwood; her sister Mary Ralph of Wayne, her brother John B. McNicholl of Las Vegas, NV, and seven grandchildren, Kyle, Shane, Aidan and Holly Latz of Norwood, Dean West of Wayne, Kathryn Moore and her husband David of High Bridge, Dana West of PA, and her great grandchild, Alexandra Moore.  She is predeceased by her husband Arthur, as well as her siblings, Patrick and Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Frances' name may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.http://www.stjude.org

Edmund S. Guzik, age 97, of Pompton Lakes, died peacefully Wednesday evening at the home of his daughter, Cinthia, in Doylestown, PA.  He resided in Pompton Lakes for 46 years before moving to Doylestown 5 years ago.

He was born in the family home on Lewis Street in Paterson and attended Saint Stephens School in Paterson.  Edmund attended Central High School and in a short time decided to go to Passaic County Technical High School in Paterson to learn to be an auto mechanic. He didn’t like that either, quit school, and found an ad in the newspaper for a job working with upholstery at Saks Brothers Upholstery Company in Paterson.  Being one of twelve children, the income was necessary to keep the household functioning.  He later found work at Wrights Aeronautical in Fair Lawn where he would clean airplane engine cylinder heads and their cooling fins.

He was drafted into the US Army during WWII and began serving on April 27, 1943.  He was assigned to the 1st Armored Division, was proficient in many types of arms, and specialized as a machine gunner.  His service brought him to places like Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, and the Po Valley.  He received decorations and citations including the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, a Bronze Star, the Infantry Badge, the Germany-Occupation Badge and four Battle Stars.

Upon being discharged from the military on December 6, 1945 he returned home to Paterson and once again established employment in the upholstery business.  He met the love of his life, Helen Rog, through her extended family.  They married on September 13, 1947 at Saint Joseph’s Church in Passaic.  They took a bus to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania for their honeymoon and established their home in Paterson.  Edmund and Helen had three of their four children while living in Paterson and later moved to Pompton Lakes where they had their fourth child.

Edmund enjoyed fishing both locally at Greenwood Lake and in the Atlantic Ocean at the Jersey Shore.  It is also rumored he liked to skinny-dip in the Passaic Falls in Paterson.  He always enjoyed keeping up with current events by reading the newspaper.  In later life he enjoyed jig-saw puzzles, bird watching, watching golf and poker on TV.

Before moving to Doylestown, he was a parishioner and usher at Church of the Annunciation of the BVM in Wayne.  He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and he belonged to the VFW.

Edmund was the loving husband of the late Helen Guzik (d.2012), he was the devoted father of Stephen Guzik and his wife Susan of Milltown, the late Glenn Guzik (d.2002), Cinthia Irwin and her husband Kenneth of Doylestown, PA, and Sharon Woelfel and her husband Eric of Long Valley; he was the cherished grandfather of Jonathan Guzik of Clark and Luke Woelfel of Long Valley; he was the brother-in-law of Patricia Guzik; he was the dear brother of Sophie Pohl of Wyckoff, Stella Cleaver of Peoria, AZ and the late Anne Guzik, Adolph “Otto” Guzik, John Guzik, Janie Jazwinski, Helen Jakubowski, Eleanor Waszak, Irene Guzik, Alice Welch and Chester Guzik.

In lieu of flowers donations in Edmund's name may be made to St. Stephens Parish, 86 Martin St. Paterson, NJ 07501.

Raymond Michael Krupo, age 92, of Wayne, passed away peacefully at home with the comfort of his loving family by his side.

Ray was a US Navy Veteran of WWII having served at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois and aboard the USS Colorado-BB45. He was Honorably Discharged and was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Area Ribbon.

He will be remembered as a man with a passion for caring for others.  He was a hospital administrator with the New York health & Hospital Corporation in New York City and for many years donated his time and talents in Israel to help those less fortunate.  For many years up until he was 88 years old, he was blessed to travel all around the world. Amongst all places traveled, his favorite place was his home on the bay in Lavallette, NJ. He loved the beach, crabbing in his backyard and most of all when his grandchildren and guests visited in the summer. He was a true New York Giants fan and a season ticket holder for 60+ years.

Ray met the love of his life Eileen and married her on March 3, 1957 in Long Island City and resided in Wayne, NJ. After twenty-eight years of loving and devoted marriage Eileen passed in 1985.

He was the father of Maria, Lisa (Jon), Cindy (Mark), Charles, Raymond, and Teddy. His greatest joy in life were his six grandchildren; Marie, Mark Jr., Katie and Helene Salerno, and James and Jon Lamp. He is also survived by one sister Penny Trapp and was predeceased by his six other siblings.

Those inclined to make a memorial donation in Raymond’s memory are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Joan Marosits, age 77, of Pompton Plains, passed away on Sunday, January 12, 2020.

Joan was born to Emma and Jerome Frost in Buffalo, NY. As a child, her family moved to Ridgewood, NJ, where neighbors became lifelong friends. She attended the Academy of St. Elizabeth, a private secondary school in Convent Station, NJ in preparation to become a nun. Upon graduation, Joan heard the calling to pursue a career in nursing. She graduated St. Francis School of Nursing in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her nursing career covered the gamut from pediatrics to geriatrics. When her own children were young, she went back to school to earn her Bachelors in Education so that she could serve as a school nurse and health educator. She blessed the lives of countless adults and children before retiring in 2005 from Lincoln School, Pompton Lakes, NJ, where she spent the majority of her career.

Joan raised her much-loved children in Wayne, NJ, where they were active parishioners of St. Ann’s Melkite Catholic Church in West Paterson. When Jackie and Bill each started their own families and settled in the area, she began attending Our Lady of Good Council Church in Pompton Plains. Most recently, Joan was a integral member of the St. Mary’s community in Pompton Lakes. Over the years, Joan was involved in so many different ministries, proving service to so many people that is difficult to list them all. Most notably, her involvement with Mission of Hope, Eucharistic Ministry, Centering Prayer, and Stephen Ministry were a genuine examples of stewardship.

Joan has been described as a strong and compassionate follower of Christ. She was a friend to all she met. She was a good listener, an advocate for the weak, and found beauty in all of God’s creation. While Joan kept busy investing in the lives of others, she found greatest joy spending time with family. She would often load the grandkids up for adventures, visiting nursing homes to administer Eucharist or attend Rosary meetings. One of their favorite destinations was the Bergen Wildlife Center in Wyckoff – a place they referred to as The Bamboo Place.

Joan was the loving mother of Jacqueline and husband Damon Hahn of Maricopa, AZ and William, Jr and wife Barbara Marosits of Wayne; adoring grandmother of Emma M. Marosits, Megan J. Hahn, William J. Marosits, and Robert C. Hahn; and dear sister of Jacqueline Modig of Maricopa, AZ.

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Joan’s name are asked to consider a donation to their favorite charity in Joan’s name.

Gordon Nilsen, 65, passed Sunday, January 12, 2020.  He was born in Englewood, NJ to Alf and Lillian Nilsen.  

He was raised in Pearl River NY and graduated Suma Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson. He was married to the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, on May 26th 1974, Carolyn.

He ran a successful construction business and truly enjoyed what he did. Gordon was one of the hardest working men there ever was.  Everything he did, he did for his family and he was a hero to many.  He enjoyed a good debate and loved to read and keep up on current events, he would take a separate view point with you just to keep the debate going.  But his true passion was playing with his grandchildren and spending time with his family.   He was known for his infectious smile, his humble attitude and his kind and compassionate spirit.

Gordon is survived by his wife Carolyn and his daughter Tania and her husband Sal, his son Chris and his wife Irina, his son David and his grandchildren Aiden and Ninah. He is also survived by his siblings Irene and her husband Pat, Linda and her husband Marty, Lorri and her husband Al, Roy his and his wife Teresa and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son Craig in 2014.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Gordon's name may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 http://www.stjude.org or The Salvation Army - Paterson Corps, 541-545 West Broadway, Paterson, NJ 07522.  https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

Lena A. Lentine, age 92, of Woodland Park, passed Saturday, January 11, 2020.

She was born in Newark to Joseph and Nancy Torsiello.  Lena attended the McKinley High School in Newark with the Class of 1945.  At the age of sixteen, Lena left high school and went to work at Tung-Sol in Bloomfield where she worked for twenty-five years on the tube manufacturing line and then as an inspector.

As a young lady, Lena went roller skating with friends to the roller rink in Elizabeth and her life would change forever.  She and a young man named Paul Lentine would meet that night and after their first official date dancing at the Elizabeth Elks Lodge they truly fell in love. When Paul and Lena made their intentions to marry known Paul was called to a sit down with Lena’s father, eldest brother Jimmy and Aunt Lucy.  They interrogated him about his background, family history, future school and work intentions. Lena’s father proclaiming that although they thought he was perfect she should keep looking. Lena’s family and specifically her father would grow to love Paul.  When Paul’s father learned of this meeting he in turn gave some fatherly advice to Paul.  He told him when you go to visit Lena always greet her father when you first get there. He also suggested they agree on the following; 1. Lena wouldn’t interfere with his education,  2. They would never spend more than $100 without asking each other’s permission, and 3. They would never go to bed angry at each other. Lena and Paul went to a pawn shop in Atlantic City where they purchased a diamond engagement ring and married on May 1, 1954 at Saint Lucy’s Church in Newark.  They drove Paul’s 1953 blue Plymouth for three days on Route 1 and honeymooned in Miami, Florida.  Paul and Lena have had a loving and devoted marriage of sixty-six years.

She was a family oriented, loving and caring person who always spoke her mind. She was an excellent cook and was always making traditional Italian specialties whenever the family was together. She was always willing to try new recipes and was forever clipping them from newspapers and magazines. Lena enjoyed having family over but when it came to cleaning up she was meticulous. She would stay up ‘til three in the morning as she couldn’t go to bed until the house was back to immaculate.

Lena was the loving wife of sixty-six years to Paul Lentine; devoted mother of Nancy Lentine DO and her husband Lee Turner of Kinnelon; cherished grandmother of Sophia Lentine-Turner of Kinnelon; loved sister of Anna Firetto of Newark, and Joseph Torsiello and his wife Adrienne of Jupiter, FL; she was also the dearly loved God-Mother of Robert Firetto of Newark. Lena was predeceased by her brothers James, Gerald, and Anthony Torsiello.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association would be greatly appreciated.

Jerome Pasek, age 82 of Wayne, died peacefully on Friday, January 10, 2020.  He’s lived in Wayne since 1972.

Jerry was a guidance counselor in the Garfield public schools, retiring in 2014.  Despite being a resident of Wayne, Jerry essentially spent his entire life in Garfield.  He grew up there as a kid, and after graduating from William Paterson College, he took his first teaching job in the Garfield schools.  He ultimately enjoyed fifty-five years, his entire career, in the Garfield schools, and the vast majority of that time was as a guidance counselor at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School.  Being there for so long, he found himself counseling students who were the children of his previous students!  He loved his job, loved mentoring kids, and he had a firm appreciation for the value of academics.

On one occasion in 1969, a new music teacher, Sheila, came into his classroom to retrieve a few students for music class.  Jerry was smitten and agreed to let her take the students, but only if she would give him her phone number.  They enjoyed their first date to the Old Barge Inn and the rest is history.  They married in 1971 and after a honeymoon to Bermuda, they moved into their home in Packanack Lake in 1972.  Throughout the years, they took several cruises together and visited with Sheila’s family in Pennsylvania on many occasions.  Jerry was a devoted husband and when she was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis, he took care of her at home, doing everything he could for her.  He loved her dearly and it broke his heart when she passed in 2010.

Jerry did travel in the years since, cruising to Alaska and he visited Death Valley in California.  He was most comfortable at home though, enjoying a good meal and then settling in to watch a movie with Otis, his English bulldog.  Jerry’s three grandchildren were his pride and joy, and he truly enjoyed spending time with them.  He loved visiting Sean and Ryan in Pennsylvania, and watching Madison learn to play soccer and ride her bike.  He simply adored his grandchildren and they will all miss him dearly.

Jerry is survived by his three children; Jeffrey Pasek and his wife Bianca of Wayne, Jaqueline Pasek of Wayne, and Jennifer Hare and her husband Kevin of Collegeville, PA, his three grandchildren; Madison, Sean and Ryan.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife Sheila in 2010, and by his brother Robert in 2003.